Coronavirus Outbreak: Chennai medical student returns in an empty flight from China

In the wake of the rising scare caused across the globe due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus a medical student from Chennai, was the lone passenger in a flight from Tianjin to India via Singapore. The girl who has been identified as Velam is pursuing her medical degree in China and she wanted to stay back in the country which is reeling under the deadly virus. With flight operations suspended she was the last Indian to return home. The epidemic has so far killed 170 people, infected thousands worldwide, and spread to some 15 countries. Velam, who is pursuing her final year of MBBS, found the entire aircraft empty when she boarded it at 9:30 am on Thursday.

In a interview to Indian Express her father said, "She wanted to stay back and help, but we convinced her to return home for obvious reasons. She was lucky to have found a flight as most operators have already suspended services," Velam's father shared the selfie which has taken by her daughter showing her as the lone passenger in the flight. Continuing further the father said her daughter had to undergo a rigorous screening as she returned home.