Two trains ferrying over 1,500 stranded Manipuris reach state

Two special trains ferried more than 1,500 Manipur residents stranded in Uttarakhand and Telangana to their home state on Thursday, officials said.

A Shramik Special carried 1,145 Manipuris from Uttarakhand and reached Jiribam railway station around 6 pm. This was the eighth special train to reach the only railway station of the northeastern state since the evacuation of stranded state residents began on May 10.

Another train from Hyderabad in Telangana reached the station with 430 passengers, they said.

All the returnees were taken to their respective districts in 52 buses after being screened at the station. The Jiribam district administration and police ensured social distancing during the exercise.

The returnees will have their samples tested and undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

On Wednesday, Manipur saw the highest daily spike of COVID-19 cases after 16 people, including 14 Chennai returnees, tested positive, prompting authorities to restrict movement of people till May 31.

Medical personnel, security and those engaged in COVID-19 duty have been exempted from the "total curfew," an official said.

The state, which was declared a COVID-free state on April 19, has registered a sudden rise in positive cases since May 14. It currently has 23 active cases.

Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu has said those returning to the state will be segregated from the existing inmates in quarantine centres to control the spread of COVID-19.

He also said the state cabinet has approved Rs10 lakh from MLALAD funds for each of the 60 assembly constituencies for maintenance of community quarantine centres.