City
Epaper

Special flight carrying SL nationals return from Wuhan

By IANS | Updated: February 1, 2020 10:45 IST

A special SriLankan Airlines flight on Saturday landed Colombo with Sri Lankan students and their family members, who were stranded in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak.

Open in App

According to authorities, they will be quarantined at the Diyatalawa army camp, reports the Daily Mirror newspaper.

The flag carrier's special UL-1422 flight departed for Wuhan at 3.45 p.m. from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Friday.

The Foreign Relations Ministry said that as of January 30, the estimated number of Sri Lankan students and family members remaining in China has declined to 284, from the estimated 864 when the outbreak was first reported.

The statement said 580 persons have returned to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. (AASL) have confirmed that proactive measures were being taken to identify, create awareness and to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, which has so far killed 259 people in China, within the BIA premises.

"We are following the procedure outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus infection and some of world's most advanced airports," AASL Chairman Rtd. Major General G.A. Chandrasiri told the Daily Financial Times.

"In the past few days, we have had only four suspicious travellers who came from the airport, and it has been confirmed that they were not infected with coronavirus," he added.

The developments come after Sri Lanka confirmed its first coronavirus case, making it the third country in South Asia after India and Nepal also reported one case each.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: Sri LankachinaG A ChandrasiriDiyatalawa Army
Open in App

Related Stories

BusinessGlobal Tech Firms Eye India for Manufacturing Amid US-China Tensions

OpinionsWill the Trump Card work Against China?

International20 Dead After Fire Blows Up A Nursing Home In Northern China (Photos)

InternationalUS Imposes 104% Tariff on China, Effective April 9

InternationalTariff War: China Says It Will 'Fight Till the End' After Donald Trump Threatens 50% Higher Tariffs

National Realted Stories

NationalFight between dharma and adharma, says RSS chief on Pahalgam attack

NationalPak Army's small arms firing at some places on J&K LoC, India retaliates

NationalPakistan Fires Small Arms Along LoC, Indian Army Retaliates Effectively

NationalDelhi Bandh: Chandani Chowk Markets Closed in Respect for Pahalgam Terror Attack (Watch Video)

National'France stands firmly with India and continue fight against terrorism', says President Macron; dials PM Modi on Pahalgam terror attack