Police clueless about 260 passengers flown with COVID-19 infected

KATHMANDU: Police have not yet tracked down the passengers flown to Nepal in the planes boarded by the four people infected with the coronavirus.

The Department of Immigration submitted the manifest of the passengers of all the three airbuses to the police a week ago.

A total of 458 passengers had had flown to Nepal in three planes – QR 652 landed in Kathmandu from Qatar on March 17, Air Arabia G 9537 from Sharjha of the United Arab Emirates on March 19  and Vistara Air from New Delhi on March 20.

Of them, police have tracked them down only 198 passengers as of Monday evening. The government has kept them at the Special Corona Hospital and their respective houses depending on their conditions.

Police have identified the remaining 260 passengers but have not been able to bring them into contact.

According to Nepal Police Headquarters, Qatar Airways was carrying 158, Air Arabia 170 and Vistara Air 130 passengers including 20 Indian nationals.

Police said they are still searching the passengers who have already departed to their destinations.

With the delay to track them down, the risk of infection is getting higher.