Coronavirus: UP couple stranded in Wuhan appeal to be rescued by Indian authorities

An Associate Professor belonging to Uttar Pradesh's Etah district is stranded in Wuhan, amid the deadly outbreak of the novel Coronavirus and has made several appeals to the Indian government to immediately rescue him and his wife, along with 23 other Indian nationals from the Chinese city.

Wuhan is at the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak and has been under lockdown and has reportedly killed over 1,000 people within a short span of time.

35-year-old Ashish Yadav who works at Wuhan Textile University, along with his wife Neha (30) who is currently pursuing a PhD in computer science, have been speaking to their families in Uttar Pradesh via video message almost every day.

One of their family members in Uttar Pradesh stated that the couple missed the special flight which rescued Indians on January 31 as Neha had undergone minor surgery and was advised to complete bed rest for a week. 

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Indians send messages to their families from Wuhan

There are 23 other Indians in China's Wuhan, which include students and working professionals, who are ready to pay the expenses to return to India. They have been reaching out to government authorities by sending distress messages, but have not received any response so far. In a message to her family, Neha said the couple had also approached the Indian embassy about their situation.

Since the lockdown of Wuhan on January 22, the Chinese government has assured its citizens that the Coronavirus incubation period would only last for 14 days, and the situation will normalize by the first week of February. But the situation has become critical in the city.

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They approached the Chinese authorities to fly to India

Four days ago, Wuhan Textile University authorities sent a team of 15 men, consisting of policemen, doctors, and nurses, who inspected their health parameters, and warned them to get hospitalised immediately if their body temperature rose above 37.5 degrees, the couple said. 

The couple has sent a letter, seeking permission from the authorities in Wuhan to travel to the airport to board a flight to India. But the authorities demanded a direct call or an intervention by the Indian Ambassador or the Minister of External Affairs to allow them to travel.

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Neha moved to Wuhan a year after the couple got married in November 2018.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare held a rescue operation, and two Special Air India flights were operated between Delhi and Wuhan on January 31 and February 1 that rescued a total of 654 passengers that included 647 Indian citizens.

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(Photo: AP)