In the second phase of the repatriation mission by the Indian Navy, more than 200 Indian citizens stranded in Maldives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, arrived in Kochi by a Naval ship on Tuesday evening, officials said.
"The second Indian Navy ship under 'Operation Samudra Setu' - INS Magar with 202 evacuees from Maldives arrived at Cochin Port on Tuesday at 5:45 pm," stated a Cochin Port Trust statement.
There are 91 repatriates of Kerala, 83 of Tamil Nadu, two people from Karnataka and 26 people belonging to 15 other states and union territories, it said.
The vessel was berthed at BTP Jetty and the disembarkation procedures, including examination and clearance by Port Health Organisation (PHO), Customs and Immigration, were carried out inside the terminal.
The Ernakulam District Administration, Police Department and other government agencies are coordinating transportation, quarantine facilities and ambulances.
According to Ernakulam District Administration, those Tamil Nadu natives who do not show COVID-19 symptoms will be moved in buses arranged by the TN government. One of the men, who hails from Tamil Nadu, has a fractured leg.
Those hailing from other states will go in quarantine at government facilities in Ernakulam district. Aysha hostel in Kakkanad and Rajagiri education institution’s hostel in Kalamassery are the quarantine facilities where the people have been brought to.
The people from other Kerala districts were transported to quarantine centres in their respective districts in Kerala Road Transport Corporation’s buses.
INS Magar was deployed for the second phase of repatriation of Indian citizens from Maldives as part of Indian Navy's Operation Samudra Setu under the Union government's Vande Bharat Mission.
In the first phase, INS Jalashwa had evacuated 698 Indian nationals stranded in the Maldives on May 10.
Meanwhile, a Defence official said INS Jalashwa will be evacuating approximately 700 nationals from Maldives on May 15 during her second repatriation sortie.
(With inputs from PTI)
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