Australian businessman trapped in India dies from COVID-19

The businessman identified as Mr Kant travelled to Delhi in April for family reasons and is believed to be the second Australian to have died in India amid a temporary travel ban imposed after a devastating second wave.

However, Australian officials are yet to comment.

The three-week controversial ban on Indian arrivals ended on Saturday, but more than 9,000 Australians remain stuck in the country.

The deceased’s firm Trina Solar announced the death of businessman on social media Monday.

Mr Kant had been the solar energy firm's Australia manager.

"This is a significant loss to Trina Solar and mere words cannot express the heartfelt sorrow we all feel upon Govind's passing," the company wrote.

"Our deepest condolences go to his wife, two daughters and other family members."

Since the ban ended, Australia has restarted repatriation flights but is yet to allow commercial airlines to operate.

On May 15, the Australian government lifted the controversial ban which included the threat of fines and jail sentences for returning citizens. The federal government made it a criminal offence to do so at the end of April in response to the surging coronavirus crisis in India.

The government has begun repatriation flights for some citizens.

The first plane landed in Darwin on Saturday morning after picking up vulnerable passengers from New Delhi. However, 72 passengers were barred from flying after 48 tested positive for Covid-19 and others were deemed close contacts.

The 80 passengers are the first people to enter Australia from India after the ban expired.

Initially, the flight was scheduled to carry 150 travellers, just over half of those booked were cleared to board the plane.

Since March 2020, Australians have been barred from travelling overseas and nearly, 10,000 Australians and their immediate family members in India are seeking to return home.

In April, high rates of Covid infections seen in arrivals from India, which has seen one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the novel coronavirus, placing a significant burden on health services.

Following the record surge in COVID-19 cases, Australian government blocked arrivals from India.

But critics stated the federal government had deserted its residents and left them to die in India, the place the virus has seen hospitals overwhelmed and tens of thousands die amid shortages in essential drugs and oxygen.

Meanwhile, India reported a record 4,329 deaths today while its total reported cases topped 25 million, according to figures from the Health Ministry.