The Raipur airport has handled the transportation of 530 oxygen cylinders by the Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft between April 9 and May 17, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said on Monday. India has been badly hit by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and hospitals in several states have been facing shortage of oxygen, beds, drugs, vaccines and equipment.
File Photo
New Delhi:
The AAI's statement said, "To overcome the oxygen crisis in the country, a total of six empty oxygen tankers (90 tonnes), 1,108 pieces of oxygen concentrators, 350 filled oxygen cylinders and 180 empty oxygen cylinders were transported by the IAF aircraft like C-17, C-130J, AN-32 from April 9 and May 17."
A total 171 boxes of COVID-19 vaccine have also been transported through various airlines till May 17 through the Raipur airport, it mentioned.
The Centre-run AAI owns and manages over 100 airports - including the Raipur airport - across the country.
Fresh COVID-19 infections in India dipped to 2,22,315, the lowest in around 38 days, pushing the total tally of coronavirus cases to 2,67,52,447, while the death toll crossed the 3-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The death toll climbed to 3,03,720 with 4,454 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed.
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