KATHMANDU: Nepal has finally evacuated its citizens from Wuhan in the Chinese Province of Hubei currently reeling under the epidemic of Covid-19.

An aircraft of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) carrying 175 Nepalis landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport at around 3:30 am on Sunday morning. Three pilots, six cabin crews, four doctors of Nepal Army, one engineer and a loadmaster were also onboard the aircraft.

Of the 175 nationals, 170 are students, 1 employee, 2 visitors, and 2 children.

According to Nepali Embassy in Beijing, six were not allowed to board the flight after they were found of having a fever and four others opted to remain in Wuhan.

The evacuees underwent screening for Covid-19 upon their arrival at the airport and then sent to isolation in Kharipati, Bhaktapur.

They will be quarantined at the training center of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for 14 days. A total of 199 isolation beds have been already arranged to quarantine the evacuees.

Likewise, the health workers and crew members involved in the evacuation will be quarantined at the National Drinking Water and Sanitation Training Center in Changunarayan-6, Lamatole in Bhaktapur.

Meanwhile, 100,000 pieces of face masks donated by the Government of Nepal to the Chinese Government through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu were brought to Wuhan on the same flight, and were handed over to Hubei Charity Federation at the airport.

The Embassy of Nepal, Beijing has expressed its sincere thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China for its support and co-operation in facilitating the process of sending back the Nepali nationals.

The Embassy also expresses its profound thanks to the Civil Aviation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CAAC), Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) of the Hubei Provincial People’s Government of China, the concerned Universities of Hubei Province, Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, and the local transport authorities of Hubei for their valuable support and co-operation extended to the Embassy in the process, adds the statement.