PDP's Altaf Bukhari appeals to PM for evacuation of J-K students from coronavirus-hit Iran

Former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to evacuate Jammu and Kashmir students stranded in Iran -- the Middle Eastern country that has reported the most fatalities from novel coronavirus outside of China.

Bukhari told ANI he has forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs the details of 240 students who are stuck in the Iranian cities of Shiraz and Tehran, urged the ministry to get in touch with the students.

"I have appealed the Prime Minister for evacuating Kashmiri students who are in Tehran and Shiraz. I have forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs a list of 240 students, though there are more than 300 (students). They still are safe, but coronavirus is spreading like fire in Iran. My request is that they are airlifted immediately, " Bukhari said.

Bukhari said that the parents of several of these students had approached him, demanding their children's evacuation from Iran.

"Their parents had called on me in Srinagar. I appealed to the Prime Minister to order the immediate evacuation and also asked the Indian embassy to get in touch with these students so that they are consoled and give them the hope that they will be evacuated," he said.

Iran has reported as many as 19 deaths from novel coronavirus, including four in capital Tehran, IRNA reported, citing the country's Health Ministry.

The figure is the highest outside of China -- the epicentre of coronavirus that has reported more than 2700 deaths.

It may be noted that the Indian government has airlifted as many 640 Indian nationals from Wuhan -- the capital of Hubei province, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus.