Coronavirus outbreak: Air India's second special flight departs for Wuhan from Delhi

New Delhi: Another flight of Air India left from Delhi at 1:37 pm on Saturday from Indra Gandi international airport (T3)  to evacutae Indians from coronavirus-hit Wuhan in China. The second flight of Air India left hours after the first flight landed in the Indian capital evacuating 324 passengers from China. 

Earlier, on Saturday, Air India spokesperson said "Another flight will depart to Wuhan from Delhi at 12.50 pm today with a different set of crew, same doctors' team with other aircraft. The rescue team is again headed by Capt Amitabh Singh, Director Operation, Air India."

The first flight was a double decker jumbo 747 with 15 cabin crew and 5 cockpit crew along with a team of five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia hospital (RML) hospital, one paramedical staff from air India with prescribed medicine from doctors, masks, overcoats, packed food are boarded in the special aircraft. A team of engineers ,security personnel also went to Wuhant to carry the rescue mission lead by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director operation of Air India.

According to news agency ANI, the Indian nationals who returned back to India will be kept at specially created quarantine centres for two weeks, as a precautionary measure. The Union Health Ministry informed that the government has made adequate quarantine centres at Manesar and Chawal camp.

In addition, a 50-bedded critical care facility has been set-up at Safdurjung Hospital in Delhi for the critical care of the patients. All persons admitted to both the quarantine facilities will be monitored on a daily basis for a period of 14 days.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak has risen to 259 with total confirmed cases surging to 11,791 amid stepped up efforts by a number of countries to evacuate their nationals from Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus, officials said on Saturday.

(With PTI inputs)