195 Indians, 41 foreign nationals evacuated from Wuhan, quarantined cruise ship: MEA

The Indian government has evacuated a total of 195 Indians and 41 foreign nationals from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan and quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

Till date, a total of 842 Indians and 48 foreign nationals have been evacuated from China and Japan. The figure includes 640 Indians and seven Maldivians evacuated from Wuhan in two special operations earlier.

As many as 119 of the 138 Indian nationals onboard cruise ship Diamond Princess -- quarantined off the coast of Japan since February 5 -- have been evacuated.

In addition, 5 foreign nationals -- two Sri Lankans, one Nepali, and one each from Peru and South Africa -- were also evacuated, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Three Indian crew members chose to not board the special flight, while 16 could not be evacuated as they have been tested positive for the coronavirus.

All evacuees will undergo a 14-day quarantine at the facilities set up by the Indian Army in Manesar.

As many as 76 Indian nationals and 36 foreign nationals -- including 23 from Bangladesh, six from China, two from Myanmar and Maldives, and one each from South Africa, the United States, and Madagascar -- were evacuated from Wuhan.

Coronavirus first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since then spread to several countries across the world.