127 people, including 9 Indians, land in Kathmandu from Afghanistan; all evacuees taken to COVID isolation centre

Brigadier General Santosh Ballave Poudyal, Nepali Army Spokesperson stated that all evacuees have been taken to a COVID-19 isolation centre in Kathmandu.

Representational Image: Zee News

Kathmandu: A total of 127 people landed in Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu on Tuesday morning from Afghanistan via Kuwait including 118 Nepalis and nine Indians. People were evacuated to Kuwait from Afghanistan on Monday. 

Brigadier General Santosh Ballave Poudyal, Nepali Army Spokesperson confirmed Zee Media that all evacuees have been taken to an isolation centre in Kathmandu and COVID protocols will be followed.

“The Nepali Government has given responsibility to take these evacuees from airport to Radha Soami Satsang Beas COVID-19 Isolation Centre, Samakhusi. So, PCR and Antigen Tests will be carried out and accordingly will be sent to home isolation,” Poudyal told WION. 

Nepal Foreign Ministry confirmed in a tweet, “Arrival of Nepali nationals from Afghanistan has started. 118 of them have arrived at Kathmandu airport by a Chartered aircraft via Kuwait this morning.”

Earlier, Nepal Government had requested the international community to keep Nepali nationals living in Kabul, Afghanistan in safe place and help their repatriation home.

“It is an honor for us to be able to welcome the first flight to Kathmandu safely, among are Nepalese who have worked in US Embassy in Kabul. We are extremely grateful for services,” US Embassy Nepal said in a tweet. 

The Manpower Association in Kathmandu claims that there are about 15,000 Nepalis in Afghanistan, while the government has record of only 1,500. A special US Air force flight took 385 Nepalis working at the US embassy to Doha on Sunday. 

While, 87 Nepalis working at the British embassy were flown out of Kabul by the British government on Sunday. As many as 470 Nepalis working as Security Guard in UN Office, UNHCR, IOM and other UN related agencies are waiting for a flight at a hotel in Kabul.

More than 120 Nepalis working at the Canadian and German embassies are being rescued from a US Air Force plane. Preparations are al;so on to rescue 62 Nepalis working at the Japanese embassy from Kabul and bring them to Kathmandu within 72 hours.

This comes after Taliban took control of the presidential palace, soon after president Ashraf Ghani fled the country for Tajikistan.