Most of the 254 Indian pilgrims stranded in Iran, who have tested positive for COVID-19, are from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh union territories (UTs).
These tests were conducted by the Indian doctors sent by the government to set up temporary testing labs for pilgrims stranded in the country.
A local English daily in Kashmir reported that it was in possession of the list which shows that almost all of them (254) belong to J&K and Ladakh. The document, which says ‘List Of Pilgrims/Students Tested Positive for COVID-19’, includes the names, passport numbers and PNR numbers (for the flights back to India the travellers were originally booked on) of 254 pilgrims and students in Iran, it said.
The newspaper reported that it was reached by phone by several of these pilgrims who confirmed the authenticity of the list and said they were in ‘terrible conditions’ alleging that the Indian embassy was “doing nothing to facilitate their return to India.”
A Kashmiri scholar at Tehran University, N A Sofi, who is in regular touch with the pilgrims and Indian officials in Tehran confirmed that the pilgrims have been tested positive to coronavirus and “Indian authorities were not evacuating them any time soon.”
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the total number of Indians infected with coronavirus is 276 - 255 in Iran, 12 in UAE, five in Italy, and one each in Hong Kong, Kuwait, Rwanda and Sri Lanka.
The stranded Indians in Iran include about 1100 pilgrims and 300 students mainly from J&K and Ladakh. The government of India barred commercial flights from Iran on 26 February, stranding hundreds of Indians like the group of pilgrims from Kashmir and Ladakh.
The stranded pilgrims and students from Kashmir and Ladakh in Iran are mostly from Shia sect. Thousands of students and pilgrims from Kashmir and Ladakh visit Iran every year.
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