New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Over three million Indians have returned from abroad after the government launched the 'Vande Bharat' evacuation mission on May 7 in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said phase eight of the mission, made operational from November 1, was ongoing.

Also Read | Delhi COVID-19 Crisis: Govt Directs 42 Private Hospitals to Reserve 80% Beds for Coronavirus Patients.

Under this phase, as on November 19, as many as 763 international flights have been operated from 24 countries reaching 21 airports across India and repatriating an estimated 1,40,000 people, he said.

"This brings the total number of Indians repatriated as of date through different modes of the Vande Bharat Mission to 30.90 lakh," he said.

Also Read | Karachi Sweets Row: Shiv Sena Leader Orders Shop to Drop ‘Karachi’ Name; 'Not Our Official Stand' Clarifies Sanjay Raut.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)