First batch of 58 stranded Indians, including women andchildren, were brought back from coronavirus-hit Iran in a C-17 Globemastermilitary aircraft on Tuesday, officials said.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft landed with the Indiansat Hindon air base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh on early Tuesday.
The evacuated Indians were being assisted by an IAF medicalteam and support staff onboard the aircraft which left from Tehran with themfor the humanitarian assistance mission.
The Indians will be sent to selected quarantine camps soonafter their medical observation and they will be kept there under observationfor next 15 days, a government official told IANS.
India on Monday night sent C-17 Globemaster to evacuate theIndians. The aircraft took off at around 8 p.m. from Hindon air base on Monday.Indian government has began the evacuation operations from several countries inthe wake of the COVID-19 outbreak which spread from Wuhan city in Hubeiprovince of China — the epicenter of the COVID-19.
India engaged with China to safely evacuate its citizens andcitizens of other friendly nations on a priority basis. Air India earlieroperated two special flights for the evacuation of 654 passengers that included647 Indian citizens.