Indians return from Ebola-hit nations amid tight screening

While six people were quarantined for tests, 85 others were cleared

With Indians fleeing west African nations in the wake of Ebola outbreak, six persons who arrived at Delhi airport today from and around Liberia, were quarantined for tests while 85 others were cleared at Mumbai airport after they were found free of the symptoms.

The people, including two women and a child, who arrived in Delhi have been taken to a designated hospital where they will be monitored for any symptoms of the virus and tests will be conducted, officials said.

Amid elaborate precautionary arrangements, all 85 Indians who arrived in Mumbai airport from Liberia and Nigeria were cleared by the Airport Health Organisation (APHO).

These passengers arrived in three batches, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said in a statement.

The first group of 20 passengers arrived on board South African Airways flight SA 284 at 5 AM from Liberia via Johannesburg and were cleared by the APHO team after screening under supervision of health ministry officials. None of them showed any symptoms of Ebola or had a history of contact with anybody afflicted with the disease, MIAL said.

After disembarkation of all the passengers the aircraft were disinfected by the APHO teams.

This was followed by another batch of 46 Indians from Liberia who arrived by Ethiopian Airline flight ET 610 soon after.

These passengers were also cleared after going through all the precautionary checks and screening, sources said.

19 others who came from Nigeria were also screened by APHO team for EVD and cleared, sources said.

A total of 44,700 Indians are living in different countries affected by Ebola, a deadly virus that has claimed over 1400 lives so far.