Manama [Bahrain], June 2 (ANI): An Air India flight under Vande Bharat Mission on Tuesday departed from Bahrain with 175 passengers and eight infants for Kerala's Kozhikode.

"Air India Express IX 1376 departed for Kozhikode with total 175 passengers and eight infants on board. Wishing a safe journey to all of them," Indian embassy in Bahrain tweeted.

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The Vande Bharat Mission has evacuated more than 50,000 stranded and distressed Indian citizens so far, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday.

India has launched the largest evacuation exercise -- Vande Bharat Mission -- to repatriate Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus-induced lockdown.

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The exercise began on May 7 and its second phase started on May 16. The Ministry of External Affairs recently announced the second phase of the mission has been extended to June 13. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)