New Delhi: At least 276 Indians have been infected with coronavirus abroad. Among them 255 are in Iran, 12 in the UAE and five in Italy, the government told Wednesday the Lok Sabha.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the total number of Indians infected by coronavirus overseas is 276 – 255 in Iran, 12 in UAE, five in Italy, and one each in Hong Kong, Kuwait, Rwanda and Sri Lanka.
“The Indian Embassies in the respective countries are in touch with such Indian citizens regarding appropriate medical attention in cooperation with local authorities,” he said
The Indians in Iran were part of a delegation of over 800 from Kargil who have been stuck in Iran since February. Most of them are stranded in hotels and other accommodation in Qom, one of the worst affected areas in Iran by the coronavirus outbreak.
Earlier, a fourth batch of 53 Indians returned Monday to the country, taking the total number of people evacuated from the coronavirus-hit country to 389.
Iran is one of the hardest hit countries by coronavirus and the government has been working to bring back Indians stranded there. Over 700 people have died from the disease in Iran and nearly 14,000 cases detected.
Agencies