NEW DELHI, March 18 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia’s diplomatic missions are helping hundreds of Malaysian citizens stranded in India due to travel disruptions following the coronavirus outbreak.
About 200 Malaysians were stuck in south India and 73 were in New Delhi looking for flights to get home, Malaysian diplomats and other sources told Bernama.
Malaysians travelling in India were stranded after the Indian government announced new measures against the coronavirus outbreak.
These included suspension of all flights from Afghanistan, the Philippines and Malaysia to India from 3 pm India time on Tuesday.
The High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi was assisting scores of Malaysians to find alternative routes out of India and in finding hotel accommodation until they could find airline seats.
In Mumbai, about 20 Malaysians who were booked on a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight to Kuala Lumpur flew home via Singapore Airlines on Tuesday night.
The Malaysian consulate in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai was overwhelmed with requests for help from Malaysians stranded in south India.
Air Asia was seeking the Indian government’s permission to fly the stranded Malaysians home from New Delhi and Visakhapatnam when the airline operates two special flights to these cities to carry Indian passengers stranded at Kuala Lumpur airport.
