ONE hundred and fifty Malaysians used tourist visas to attend a tabligh event in New Delhi, which is now India’s biggest domestic source of Covid-19 cases, reports the Hindustan Times.

The 150 were among 2,000 foreigners from at least 70 countries who arrived on tourist visas to take part in the Tablighi Jamaat movement’s work across India since January 1. Indian immigration rules prohibit participation in religious activity while on a tourist visa.

Delhi police said around 8,000 people flocked to the religious centre in the Nizamuddin West neighbourhood.

India reported nearly 2,000 cases yesterday with 58 deaths while more than 350 cases were traced to the Delhi gathering.

According to Hindustan Times, a majority of the foreigners at the religious centre were from Bangladesh (493), Indonesia (472), Malaysia (150) and Thailand (142).

“All the ambassadors of the concerned countries have been contacted and they’ve been informed about the position of various nationals that are involved in this (matter),” it quoted an anonymous official as saying.

India is now working to deport foreigners who test negative for Covid-19 by the “first available flights”.

Late Monday and Tuesday, the warren of lanes near the religious centre – near several prominent Sufi shrines – were taped off by officials in hazmat suits, reports AFP.

More than 1,000 people were taken in buses from the area by police, with 335 admitted to hospital and the rest quarantined, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Tuesday.

At least 10 attendees, including six in southern Telangana state and three in Delhi, have died from Covid-19 in the past few days, authorities said.

“A grave crime has been committed,” Jain said of the event, which took place as the Delhi government started to introduce restrictions on large gatherings on March 13.

The centre, the global headquarters for the Tablighi Jamaat missionary movement, insisted it had followed regulations.

It said attendees were stranded after public transport was shut down ahead of a nationwide curfew imposed from March 25.

It was not yet clear if the Indian outbreak is linked to another Tablighi Jamaat event held in Malaysia from February 27 to March 1.

About half of Malaysia’s 2,900 infections have been directly linked to that event, which was attended by 16,000 people – including 1,500 foreigners. – April 2, 2020.