The two Sri Lankan crew members who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan were evacuated yesterday by a charter flight organised by the Indian Government to New Delhi upon a request made by the Sri Lankan Government.
The two Sri Lankan crew members are in good health, according to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Japan.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa took to twitter to thank Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing assistance in evacuating the two Sri Lankans.
In a tweet posted online yesterday, he said that he was informed by the Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India that the two Sri Lankans who were onboard the cruise ship had been quarantined and who were flown out of Tokyo arrived safely in New Delhi. “My heartfelt gratitude to PM Narendra Modi, the government of India and Air India for facilitating the evacuation.”
A total of 124 crew who were on board the cruise ship have been evacuated and will undergo a quarantine period at the Army facility in Haryana, India. Upon completion of the quarantine procedure in India, the two Sri Lankan crew members will return to Colombo, the Ministry of Foreign Relations said.