KATHMANDU: Some 180 Nepalis in the Hubei province of China have applied to be evacuated from the province that is currently reeling under the scare of coronavirus.

Nepali Embassy in Beijing said a total of 180 Nepalis have applied for evacuation as of Sunday evening.

The Nepali Embassy in Beijing said that chartered flights will be arranged for the evacuation of Nepali nationals.

Meanwhile, the Nepal government has said it is looking for a place to quarantine Nepalis to be airlifted from coronavirus-hit China.

“The government is looking for a place to be equipped with the strict vigil of a doctor,” said Mahendra Shrestha, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population.

Earlier, issuing a notice on Saturday, the Embassy had asked all Nepali nationals currently residing in the province to fill out an evacuation form and send it to the Embassy.

The death toll from coronavirus has reached 361 in mainland China while over 17,000 have been infected with  cases of the virus, BBC reported. Similarly, 150 new virus cases have been reported outside China.