Pune: The second batch of 143 Afghan nationals left for Afghanistan from Pune airport on Friday afternoon. A special Kam Air flight was arranged by the government of Afghanistan for their stranded nationals. 

The passengers included students living in Pune, Hyderabad, Karnataka and Gujarat. The flight landed at 12 pm and departed at 2.30 pm. 

During the departure procedures, guidelines of social distancing were followed.

“The Pune customs successfully facilitated rescue flights for 143 Afghanistan nationals stranded in India due to COVID-19 by Kam Air flight. All the passengers are scanned for temperature using thermal scanners," said Deputy Commissioner of Customs, Motilial Shete. 

According to the officials, no passenger was found with any signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The officials of Customs, Airport Authority of India (AAI), Immigration and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) coordinated the movement.

“All the agencies involved followed COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, maintaining social distancing and uses of masks and sanitizers,” he said.

Earlier on May 16, a special Kam Air flight had taken Afghan nationals including cadets of National Defence Academy (NDA) and other Afghanistan military officials stranded in India due to the lockdown.