CISF unit guarding Kolkata-based warship building facility registers max 38 COVID-19 cases

The Central Industrial Security Force has reported 41 fresh coronavirus infection cases on Wednesday, with the maximum recorded at its Kolkata-based GRSEL unit, a strategic warship building facility on the banks of Hooghly river.

A 55-year-old Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) rank official posted in this unit had succumbed to the disease on Monday.

TheGarden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSEL) CIAF unit has 38 active COVID-19 cases now, with all but one being reported in the last 24 hours, as per an official data.

The GRSEL is a strategically important warship building facility on the banks of the Hooghly river that caters to the combat requirements of the Navy and the Coast Guard.

The CISF was deployed here in 2016 for proving an anti-terror cover to the facility.

The deceased official was under treatment at a Kolkata hospital since he tested positive for the disease on May 5.

This was the third death from the pandemic in the force with one in the unit that guards the Indian Museum in Kolkata and the other in the unit that protects the Mumbai international airport.

The Central Armed Police Forces have witnessed six deaths in all, the maximum being in CISF while two in the Border Security Force and one in the Central Reserve Police Force.

The rest of the four fresh cases in the CISF since Tuesday have been reported from the Delhi Metro security unit of the force. The active cases in this unit are 28 now.

Overall, with the addition of 41 fresh cases, the total number of active cases in the about 1.62 lakh personnel strong force stands at 109 now.

The contingent guarding the Mumbai international airport has 28 active cases followed by 5 in the Ahmedabad airport security unit and 3 from the Indira Gandhi International Airport protection unit, the data said.

The force is primarily deputed to guard civil airports in the country and vital infrastructure in the aerospace and nuclear domain apart from other defence and security institutions.

The CAPFs like the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP and SSB-- as per latest data-- have over 811 active cases of the disease.