Coronavirus: Pakistani students await evacuation from Chinese city of Wuhan

A Pakistani student has said there are nearly 500 students stranded in the Coronavirus-struck Chinese city of Wuhan, warning that if the government doesn't carry out a rescue operation immediately they will be at risk of being exposed to the deadly virus.

One of the Pakistani students in Wuhan, Hafsah Tayab, spoke to Geo News  on Monday and confirmed that other countries are planning to get their citizens evacuated through airplanes.

"Embassies of other countries [excluding Pakistan] are rescuing their citizens. There are over 500 Pakistani students in Wuhan. If even one of them gets affected, the others will be in danger," she warned.

"There is a shortage of essentials, like food, and if this situation persists, we will run out of food very soon," Tayab said, adding that she and her fellow students have been confined to the city.

"We plead to the authorities take notice of our situation on humanitarian grounds and do something about it. We will be grateful to you all our lives," another student can be heard saying in the video.

According to the student, there are about 200 Pakistanis enrolled at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, and a total of 2,000 in other universities of the city.

"A few days ago, the Pakistani students stuck in Wuhan were very scared. However, [things improved] due to the efforts of the Pakistani embassy in Beijing, which is making all the efforts it can to provide us with what we need," Tayab said while speaking to Geo News.

"Pakistani authorities have assured us that they will get us out of the city like other countries are flying their citizens out of it," Tayab added. 

Pakistan's Foreign Office has confirmed that efforts are being made to help the students.

"The officials are in constant touch with the Chinese authorities in order to make necessary arrangement for Pakistanis struck in the affected areas and a special briefing for all the embassies in Beijing has been schdeuled today," Foreign Office spokesperson Aaisha Forooqui said.

New infections are being reported as major countries step up efforts to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan. The United States, Germany and France are among several countries planning to evacuate their citizens.