China is delaying grant of clearance to India’s proposal to send an Indian Air Force flight to carry relief material for people affected by novel Coronavirus in the neighbouring country and bring back its citizens from the city of Wuhan, official sources said today.

China on Friday denied any delay in allowing a special Indian flight to the Coronavirus-hit Wuhan city to deliver medical supplies and evacuate remaining Indians from there, saying the concerned departments of both the countries were in touch to finalise the schedule.

India on February 17 had announced that it will send Indian Air Force’s largest plane C-17 Globemaster with medical supplies to Wuhan and bring back its nationals as well as citizens from all neighbouring countries who were still stuck there on the return flight.

“China is deliberately delaying grant of clearance for the evacuation flight,” PTI quoted high-level source as saying.

News agency ANI quoted sources as saying, “There are relief and evacuation flights from other countries which are still going on, including by France. Why is the Chinese government delaying clearance for Indian relief flight? Are they not interested in Indian aid provided as our token of support?”

While hitting out at Beijing over the reported delay sources further said, “Chinese Govt yet to grant clearance to flight carrying relief supplies which will also get back remaining Indian nationals from Wuhan. China continues to maintain there is no delay(even on Friday),day flight was supposed to go, but inexplicably clearance has not been given.”

PM Modi had  written to Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier in February, conveying support over Coronavirus outbreak and offered to provide assistance to China. He also thanked President Xi for facilitating the evacuation of the two batches of Indians from Wuhan.

India has already evacuated 647 Indians and seven Maldivians by operating two Special Air India flights to Wuhan earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in China has informed the stuck citizens that due to technical reasons, the date of the flight is being changed.

As we continue to work on the logistics of the evacuation, we would like to inform you that due to technical reasons, the date of the flight is being changed,” Indian Mission in China told the citizens in Wuhan.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the novel Coronavirus in China has risen to 2,345 with 109 more casualties reported, mostly from the hard-hit Hubei province, while the overall confirmed infection cases have climbed to 76,288, Chinese health officials said on Saturday.

The novel Coronavirus outbreak has caused alarm as it has crossed global fatalities in the 2002-03 SARS epidemic.