India to send C-17 Globemaster to airlift Indians from Iran

 India will send a C-17 Globemaster military aircraft to coronavirus-hit Iran on Monday night to evacuate stranded Indians from there, sources said on Monday. It will fly to Iran at around 8 p.m. from Hindon, sources said.

India is in touch with Iran on possible evacuation of Indian pilgrims and students stuck in the coronavirus-hit nation, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said in the Parliament last Thursday. An estimated 1,200 Indians, mostly students and pilgrims, are in Iran currently.

"If the Iranian government lends its support, a testing facility could be set up there as well, so that Indians there can be tested before they can be brought back," Vardhan had said.

The minister had said the government is following up with Iran to tie-up for evacuating Indian pilgrims and students stranded in Tehran and Qom as per need.

The government has carried out two evacuation missions, bringing back a total of 767 Indians from China. All of them have been kept in quarantine and have so far tested negative for the virus.IANS