Indian envoy Abhay Kumar went on-board the special chartered aircraft to wish everyone a safe journey

Antananarivo:

Around 85 Indians, living and working in Madagascar, departed for India in a special chartered flight under the third phase of Vande Bharat’s repatriation mission.

Madagascar has been home to about 20,000 persons of Indian origin. The total number of Indian citizens residing in the small island nation located in the southern Indian Ocean and close to East Africa is about 2,500. Those people are mostly engaged in trading, manufacturing and other businesses.

Indian ambassador Abhay Kumar went on-board the special chartered aircraft along with Second Secretary Mani Agarwal and wished all the passengers a safe journey back home.

Madagascar has about 1,300 coronavirus cases and has reported 10 deaths so far. The pandemic situation seems to be under control in the island nation.

Madagascar is set to celebrate its 60th Independence Day on June 26 which would be a low key affair without any foreign participation because of the prevailing pandemic .