Sri Lankan flight leaves today to bring 101 students stranded in India

Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 23 (ANI): A Sri Lankan Airlines special flight has left Katunayake this morning to bring back 101 stranded Sri Lankan students, who were pursuing higher studies in India and were unable to return home since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out globally earlier this year, airport authorities said on Thursday.
Sri Lankan Airline UL-1145 flight departed from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake at 6.15 today morning (local time) for Amritsar, Colombo Page reported.
The flight with eight crew members, including two pilots, departed for India with no passengers. The flight is scheduled to arrive in Katunayake at 2.55 p.m. today (local time).
Two more special flights will leave tomorrow to bring back 117 Sri Lankans from Coimbatore and 93 more from Katmandu.
The Centre, last month, had announced a suspension of flight services, domestic as well as international carriers, till May 3 to stem the surging cases of coronavirus infection. The move has left thousands of foreigners stranded across various parts of the country.
On April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of COVID-19 lockdown till May 3.
India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has risen to 21,393, including 16,454 active cases, 4,257 cured/discharged/migrated and 681 deaths. (ANI)