CISF personnel quarantined after passengers test Covid positive

New Delhi: The CISF has directed its personnel to go into preventive quarantine after at least two passengers of the Air India Express flight that crashed at Kozhikode tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Saturday.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has said it was the "first responder" to rescue passengers on Friday as its Assistant Sub Inspector Ajit Singh was on runway patrol when the Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people onboard overshot the tabletop runway, fell into a 35-foot gorge and broke into two.

At least 18 passengers, including the two pilots of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, were killed in the incident.

"We are identifying our personnel, who rescued the passengers who have tested positive for Coronavirus," CISF Special Director General (Airports) M A Ganapathy said.

Another senior officer said the force has information that two passengers have tested positive for COVID-19.

Around 50 CISF personnel, who were involved in the rescue operation and their family members have been asked to quarantine themselves, he said.

The force will also conduct COVID-19 tests of all those who were exposed, the officer said.

Another official said the rescuers of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other airport officials have also been asked to go into self-quarantine in view of the COVID-19 positive report of some passengers.

According to the advisory, only asymptomatic passengers can board 'Vande Bharat' flights following strict thermal checking. A negative RT-PCR report has to be shown on arrival if anyone wants an exception from institutional quarantine.

Following the institutional quarantine, the passengers need to be in home isolation for seven days.