Second batch of 44 Indian pilgrims arrived from Iran: Jaishankar

The second batch of 44 Indian pilgrims arrived from Iran on Friday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.

An Iran Air flight carrying Indian pilgrims stranded in coronavirus-hit Iran landed at the airport in Mumbai on Friday afternoon, an official said.

They were later taken to a Navy's quarantine facility in Ghatkopar, a suburb in northeast Mumbai, a Navy official said. Earlier, the plan was to take them to an Army quarantine facility in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Iran is one of the worst-affected countries by coronavirus outbreak and the government has been working on plans to bring back the Indians stranded there.

"Second batch of 44 Indian pilgrims has arrived today from #Iran. Our efforts to bring back the others continue. @India_in_Iran and our medical team - keep up the good work. Appreciate the support of Iranian authorities and their airlines," Jaishankar said in a tweet.

The first batch of 58 Indian pilgrims were brought back from Iran on Tuesday.

"A special Iran Air flight, IR810, arrived from Tehran at CSMIA today at 12:07 hrs with 44 Indians evacuated from COVID-19 hit Iran.

"All passengers and crew underwent screening by the APHO at the isolation bay and were transferred directly from the aircraft to the Indian Naval facility in Ghatkopar to follow the mandatory 14-day quarantine period," a statement by the Mumbai airport operator MIAL said.

Jaishankar on Thursday said there are more than 6,000 Indians in various provinces of Iran.

Coronavirus outbreak is a matter of "great concern" and the government's initial focus is to bring back Indian pilgrims stranded in Iran, he had said.