Relief as A.P. engineers’ ordeal ends

On returning from China, they will be put under quarantine in Haryana facility

Parents of young engineers who had been stranded in the Chinese city of Wuhan post the outbreak of a novel coronavirus heaved a sigh of relief after the news of the government sending a Jumbo Air India flight to China to evacuate about 315 Indian students and engineers trickled in.

Their joy knew no bounds when they found the names of all 58 trainee engineers working in Panel Opto-Display Technology Private Limited (POTPL) in the updated list of passengers released by the government. It is learnt that about 35 are from north Andhra.

“We are happy to learn that our children will be returning safely. My son called me in the evening and informed that both the Chinese and Indian governments were conducting tests at the airport ahead of their departure,” said AVL Rao, parent of a trainee engineer from Vizag.

According to the parents, the flight was likely to reach Delhi at around 2 a.m. on Saturday. After screening at the airport, they will be sent a quarantine facility set up by the Army at Manesar in Haryana. The engineers and students are likely to be kept under observation for about two weeks.

It may be recalled that 96 engineers from Andhra Pradesh working with POTPL had been sent to Wuhan city in China in August last for training. After three months, 38 engineers were sent back, and the rest were asked to stay for three more months for completion of training.