640 Indians evacuated from coronavirus-hit China in complex operation: MEA

The government has evacuated 640 Indians from coronavirus-hit China and the complex operation was done with Beijing's assistance, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said apart from those evacuated, 10 other Indians have indicated that they want to come back from China, but were unable to clear the health screening process.

"We are in regular contact with them and exploring all possibilities for their return," Kumar said. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, normal visas and all existing e-visas from China that have been issued are no longer valid, he said.