Indian airport authorities stop eight Malaysians from taking evacuation flight

Indian airport authorities on Sunday stopped eight Malaysians from boarding an evacuation flight from New Delhi because they may have participated in a religious gathering in the city last month.

Many Malaysians are among the 960 foreigners blacklisted by India's Home Ministry on April 2 for taking part in Tablighi Jamaat's recent preaching and prayer events while being in the country on visit visas.

The eight Malaysians were staying in different parts of Delhi and had registered for the evacuation flight for stranded Malaysians, a person who knows some of them told Bernama.

Scores of Malaysians were among the foreigners evacuated from the Tabligh headquarters, known as Markaz, by Delhi Police.

They are now housed in makeshift quarantine facilities over coronavirus fears and many have claimed to their friends and families back in Malaysia that they are living in unhygienic conditions and without proper food and medical care.

A 61-year-old stranded Malaysian died at Delhi's Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital on Wednesday, but his death was not related to the Covid-19 disease.

-- BERNAMA