Nearly 200 Pilgrims From Kerala To Saudi Arabia Deplaned Over Coronavirus Fears
Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage that may be carried out at any time of 12 months. (Representational)
Kozhikode:
Nearly 200 Umrah pilgrims from Kerala have been deboarded from their flights to Saudi Arabia from Calicut global Airport right here on Thursday after the gulf country enforced a short lived ban on foreigners in search of to consult with the holy towns of Makkah and Madina, following coronavirus scare.
Saudi Arabia halted shuttle to the holiest websites in Islam over fears a few viral epidemic simply months forward of the yearly hajj pilgrimage, a transfer that got here because the Mideast has over 240 showed instances of the brand new coronavirus.
In step with Airports Authority of India officers, as many as 84 of passengers from the Saudi Airways and 104 from the Spice Jet Airways have been denied permission to board the flights and shuttle to Saudi Arabia.
On the other hand, different passengers sure to Jeddah have been authorised to fly, they mentioned.
A personal excursion operator right here mentioned two batches of 40 pilgrims each and every have been denied permission to shuttle to Makkah to accomplish Umrah on February 27.
Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage that may be carried out at any time of 12 months.
“The pilgrims have been denied access by way of the 2 airways, Spice Jet scheduled at 05.30 hrs and Saudi Airways at 1130 hrs,” Naiful Akbar, a shuttle agent mentioned.
The Airport Authority of India assets mentioned, “the passengers have been requested to alight by way of the Spice Jet airline personnel following an instruction gained by way of them.”