Qatar bans entry of people from India, 13 other countries
New Delhi: Qatar has temporarily banned entry of people coming from India and 13 other countries in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
The temporary ban would also be applicable on people coming from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria and Thailand.
"This decision comes as a preventive measure due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide," Qatar government said in a statement dated March 8.
Flagship carrier Qatar Airways has also stopped flights from India, sources said. Qatar Airways operates 102 weekly flights from Doha to 13 Indian cities, including New Delhi.
According to the statement, the temporary suspension of entry would affect all individuals intending to enter from these countries, including visas upon arrival, those with residence or work permit, and temporary visitors.
Earlier, Qatar Airways announced temporary suspension of flights to and from Italy, one of the countries worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Other airlines that fly to Qatar, include IndiGo, GoAir and Air India.
There was no immediate statement from the three airlines about the status of their flights.
Meanwhile, Kuwait on Saturday had suspended operations of all flights to and from India and six other countries in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
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Small plane crashes in rural area of northeast Colombia, killing all 15 people on board
Bogota (AP): A small plane crashed Wednesday in a rural area of Norte de Santander province in northeast Colombia, killing all 15 people on board, authorities said.
Satena, the state-owned airline that operated the flight, said local officials in the community of Curasica notified authorities about where the plane had gone down and a rescue team was deployed to “assess the condition of the passengers.”
Colombia's Transportation Ministry later released a statement saying that “once the aircraft was located on site, authorities regrettably confirmed that there were no survivors.”
The aircraft, which has a registration number of HK4709, took off at 11:42 am local time from the airport in Cucuta, the department's capital, bound for Ocana, a municipality surrounded by mountains, on a flight that typically lasts about 40 minutes.
The aircraft's final contact with air traffic control came minutes after takeoff, according to a statement released by Satena.
The small plane was carrying two crew members and 13 passengers, including Diogenes Quintero, who represents the victims of the internal armed conflict in his region, the airline said.
