by Khalid Bashir Gura
SRINAGAR: As the coronavirus is getting unstoppable, thereby making and increasing its presence outside China, cases now in at least 44 countries have been detected.
As the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, the virus and viral fear is growing across the globe.
The coronavirus has now infected more than 80,000 globally, killing more than 2,700 and continues spreading its deadly tentacles outside China.
For the first time the disease has been detected in Estonia, Denmark, Georgia, Brazil, Pakistan, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Romania and Algeria besides its quick spread in quickly in Europe and the Middle East.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency’s latest figures show 141 confirmed cases and 22 deaths.
As India continues to evacuate its citizens from other direct or indirectly impacted countries, the Kashmiris in Iran are distressed and panic struck as they want to leave the recent coronavirus impacted Iran and come back home at earliest.
“Many students from Srinagar pursuing MBBS and M.D from Tehran University of Medical Sciences while talking to Kashmir Life said, “We wanted the embassy to evacuate us, but our requests regarding evacuation remain unreciprocated. It seems they won’t as the emergency hasn’t been declared yet in Iran. We are more than 200 students. There are cases of coronavirus in hospitals. Our parents are worried. And we are confined to our rooms.”
The email sent to the Indian embassy in Iran responded by saying they have forwarded our request to the Iranian division of embassy said one of the students in Iran.
Even though we had booked tickets they got cancelled.
“Our parents are worried. Going home is the only solace we see right now,’’ they said. Adding the students said that the university is shut, exams are cancelled. We are facing problems even in booking flights as most of them are already booked and indirect flights have been cancelled.
Another student said that there is panic but not as much as is being played out. We all are waiting for an official statement from the Government of India regarding evacuating us. I had tweeted to Indian Ambassadors handle but wasn’t reciprocated.
It is pertinent to mention that DC, Srinagar, Dr Shahid Choudhary had tweeted to Indian students in Tehran to contact Indian Embassy’s helpline.
