Indian Mission shares emergency hotline, emails for Indians in Hubei as coronavirus deaths surpass 500

The Indian Mission here on Thursday shared hotline numbers and emails of Chinese authorities and universities in Hubei in case any assistance is needed as the death toll in the deadly coronavirus outbreak surpassed 500 and infected thousands of others.

"While @EOIBeijing continues to remain available for assistance to Indian nationals in Hubei on the existing hotline and dedicated email, the following hotline numbers of Chinese authorities and universities in Hubei can also be contacted in case any assistance is needed," the Embassy tweeted along with a list of hotline numbers of Chinese authorities and universities.

Death toll in China rose to 563 as the lockdown in the central Chinese province of Hubei and its capital Wuhan--the epicenter of the deadly virus outbreak-- entered its third week.

According to media reports, the fatality rate in Wuhan is 4.1 per cent and 2.8 per cent in Hubei, compared to just 0.17 per cent elsewhere in mainland China.

The virus originated in Wuhan in China's Hubei province in December and has since then spread to various parts of the world.

China has imposed quarantine and travel restrictions, affecting the movement of 56 million people in more than a dozen cities, amid fears that the transmission rate will accelerate.