With Indian Naval Ship (INS) Jalashwa evacuating 700 stranded Indians from Male in the Maldvies on Sunday, the Navy has so far ferried 2,874 people from the Maldives and Sri Lanka as part of the Vande Bharat Mission, according to the force on Sunday. While INS Jalashwa has brought in 2,672 citizens, INS Magar has evacuated 202 Indians.

The embarkation was facilitated by the Indian mission in the Maldives after requisite medical screening and coronavirus-related safety protocols were strictly adhered to during the voyage, the Navy said.

The evacuation was conducted as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the central government and factoring all possible contingencies. All precautions for infection control on ships, in conjunction with isolation and quarantine protocols for crew, were ensured.

The evacuees were received at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu amid speedy disembarkation, health screening, immigration and transportation.

On May 12, INS Magar had evacuated in 202 Indians, which included 23 women and three children, from the Maldives. The ship had sailed from Maldives on May 10.

Meanwhile, as part of the Mission Sagar, INS Kesari reached Port Victoria, Seychelles, during the day to deliver second consignment of essential medicines at the request of the Seychelles government.

INS Kesari carried medicines for most common ailments found in the islands, like blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, cancer and other cardiovascular diseases.

The Indian government has also donated two 'air evacuation pods', designed by the Indian Navy, to the Health Care Agency (HCA), Seychelles, to help in urgent medical evacuations (IANS)