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36 US nationals evacuated from Dharamshala
The tourists were first sent to Chandigarh in two buses arranged by the embassy. From there they will be flown to the US in special flights
Thirty-six US nationals stranded in Himachal in the wake of the lockdown imposed to arrest the spread of novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) were evacuated from Dharamshala on Tuesday.
The tourists were evacuated by the embassy of the United States of America in collaboration with the district administration.
The travellers were putting up in hotels and guest houses in McLeodganj and Dharamshala since curfew was imposed in the district on March 23.
Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said an embassy officer had arrived in Dharamshala on Monday to oversee the evacuation.
The tourists were first sent to Chandigarh in two buses arranged by the embassy. From there they will be flown to the US in special flights, he said.
131 tourists including 31 foreigners stranded in HP
One hundred and thirty-one tourists, including 31 foreign nationals, are currently stranded in Himachal Pradesh amid the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus, the state government said on Tuesday.
Principal secretary (revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma, who also heads the Covid-19 task force, said all the foreign nationals in the state are being taken care of and are safe. He said a total of 160 foreign tourists were stranded in HP when the curfew was imposed in the state on March 24.
“So far, 109 foreign nationals have been evacuated by embassies of their respective countries and 31 are still stranded in the state,” he said.
Sharma added that tourists are being evacuated by the concerned embassies. The state government is coordinating the embassies in the evacuation process. He said the embassy evacuated 24 Spanish tourists on April 4.
“Authorities are in regular touch with stranded foreign nationals and all possible help is being provided to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said that initially 122 foreign nationals have been evacuated from the district since the curfew was imposed.
Eighteen foreign nationals from four countries left the state from March 24-30, while as many as 51 travellers from 11 countries were evacuated on March 31 by their respective embassies. Fifteen foreigners left the state district from April 1 to 4 and a batch of 37 US nationals was evacuated on Tuesday.
Of the evacuees, 42 were from the USA, 31 from France, 10 each from Russia and Germany and six from Spain, five from Israel, three each were from Japan and Canada.
Two tourists each were from Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia and one each from Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Britain, Philippines and Hungary.
“All the foreign nationals who are still in the district are being provided every possible help,” Prajapati said.
