254 Indian Pilgrims Diagnosed with COVID-19 in Massive Outbreak During Religious Gathering

The Indian pilgrims stranded in Iran due to the travel restrictions imposed by various countries amidst the COVID-19 outbreak have faced a new challenge - some of them have tested positive for the virus. According to a report by mid-day.com, around 254 pilgrims, mostly from Kargil, have been infected with the virus. The list of infected individuals was shared on a WhatsApp group of pilgrims and Indian government officials on Sunday. The pilgrims have been demanding evacuation, and they gathered outside the Indian Embassy in Tehran to put pressure on the authorities.

One of the pilgrims, Mohammad Imran, who has tested negative, informed Scroll. that the embassy officials have assured them that all the stranded passengers will be airlifted back to India in the next few days. Imran also revealed that most of the infected individuals are above 50 years old. The Indian foreign ministry has refused to confirm or deny the list of infected individuals, but an additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Dammu Ravi, has stated that given the extensive spread of the virus in Iran, it is not surprising to find some positive cases among the stranded pilgrims. Ravi also assured that every care is being taken by the Indian mission in Iran for the safety of the Indians there.

In summary, the Indian pilgrims stranded in Iran due to the travel restrictions have faced a new challenge - the outbreak of COVID-19. Some of them have tested positive for the virus, and they have been demanding evacuation. The Indian embassy officials have assured them that they will be airlifted back to India soon. The Indian foreign ministry has acknowledged the spread of the virus in Iran but has not confirmed or denied the list of infected individuals. The situation remains challenging for the stranded pilgrims, but they are hopeful that they will soon be able to return to India safely.