281 Myanmarese nationals, held up in Bihar and UP during

Close to 300 Myanmarese nationals, stranded in different places across Bihar and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh because of the lockdown, on Wednesday left for their homeland aboard a special chartered flight, a senior official said.

District Magistrate, Gaya, Abhishek Kumar Singh said, altogether 281 people boarded the flight. Most of them were held up at Buddhist pilgrimage spots like Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Varanasi and Kushinagar.

He said, arrangements for their return was made by the Myanmarese government in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs.

"Care was taken that social distancing was maintained at the airport where the foreigners had queued up to undergo thermal screening before boarding the plane," the official said.

He also said, 340 Thai nationals are similarly stranded at various Buddhist pilgrimage spots in Bihar and the government of the south east Asian country was in talks with MEA to arrange for their return.