At least 16 positive Covid cases amongst evacuees from Afghanistan

New Delhi, Aug 25: Sixteen Afghanistan evacuees out of the 78 that landed in India on Tuesday are coronavirus positive, says NDTV report. A total of 626 people, including 228 Indian citizens, have been evacuated from Afghanistan till now.

The number of Afghan Sikhs, who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, is 77.

The Centre has issued a memorandum mandating compulsory minimum 14 days institutional quarantine for those being evacuated from Afghanistan.

The ministry said the Centre is undertaking emergency evacuation of people from Afghanistan to India and considering the nature of crisis, it has already allowed exemption from mandatory pre-boarding RT-PCTR testing (presently mandated for international travellers) for people who have been evacuated from the war-torn country.

Thousands of Afghans have been crowding around the Kabul airport for nearly a week, in a desperate attempt to flee the country fearing the Taliban''s brutality.

India is carrying out the evacuation missions in coordination with the US and several other friendly countries.

On Monday, India brought back 146 of its nationals to Delhi in four different flights from the Qatari capital Doha, days after they were evacuated from Kabul by NATO and American aircraft.

On Sunday, India evacuated 392 people including two Afghan lawmakers in three different flights under the evacuation mission.

The Taliban seized control of Kabul on August 15. Within two days of the Taliban's capture of Kabul, India evacuated 200 people, including the Indian envoy and other staffers of its embassy in the Afghan capital.

The first evacuation flight brought back over 40 people, mostly staffers at the Indian embassy on August 16.

The second aircraft evacuated around 150 people including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians from Kabul on August 17.

India carried out the evacuation missions in coordination with the US and several other friendly countries.

The Taliban swept across Afghanistan this month, seizing control of almost all key towns and cities, including Kabul, in the backdrop of the withdrawal of the US forces.