India gearing up to evacuate citizens from China after coronavirus outbreak

A photo taken on Jan 27, 2020, shows medical staff outside an isolation ward in Hyderabad, India, as patients (unseen) coming from Hong Kong requested medical checks as a preventative measure following the coronavirus outbreak. PHOTO: AFP

Updated

Published

Jan 28, 2020, 06:03 PM

NEW DELHI (REUTERS) - India is preparing to evacuate citizens from China's Hubei province following the coronavirus outbreak, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday (Jan 28).

Local media reported earlier that an Air India plane was on standby to evacuate an estimated 250 Indians from Wuhan, a city in Hubei province that is at the epicentre of the virus.

"We have begun the process to prepare for evacuation of Indian nationals affected by the situation arising out of Corona-2019 virus outbreak in Hubei Province, China," spokesman Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.

Authorities were working out the logistics of moving people out of the city, which is under a lockdown, he said.