Two Border Security Force personnel and a CISF official succumbed to the COVID-19 infection as active positive cases of the pandemic in various paramilitary forces neared 500, officials said on Thursday.
These are the first coronavirus fatalities in these two paramilitary forces.
The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) -- comprising the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Sashastra Seema Bal -- reported about 90 fresh cases on Thursday.
A 55-year-old sub-inspector of the CRPF had succumbed to the disease last month, and the three latest fatalities take to four the total number of deaths in CAPFs due to COVID-19.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah condoled the deaths. "Deeply pained to know about the loss of our two brave BSF soldiers, who were battling COVID-19," he said on Twitter. "I join millions of Indians in mourning their untimely demise."
Offering his condolences to the bereaved families, Shah said "may God give them strength to withstand this tragic loss."
The 2.5 lakh-personnel-strong BSF, tasked primarily to guard Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, also reported 41 new cases of the infection, a senior official on Thursday.
The total number of infections or active cases in the BSF now stand at 193. Two jawans have recovered.
This is the highest number of infections among all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) where the total numbers are close to 490 now.
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Among the latest fatalities in the BSF is a 46-year-old Assistant Sub Inspector who was posted in the headquarters (communication wing) of the force in Delhi, and he had no other reported ailment.
The other BSF jawan, who passed away, was undergoing dialysis at a Delhi hospital.
In an alarming development, 80 percent of the BSF troops of a company deployed in Jamia and Chandni Mahal areas of the national capital have tested positive till now.
Out of the 94 personnel in that company, 75 have contracted the infection now, a senior official said.
The other major cases are from a single BSF unit based in Tripura.
"Braving the challenge of securing frontiers, working with civil administration and while shouldering other essential responsibilities, 41 new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported since Wednesday," BSF spokesperson Shubhendu Bhardwaj.
Most of these BSF personnel have been aiding civil police in internal security duties during this critical phase of coronavirus pandemic, he said.
The BSF has stressed its personnel to remain motivated, take healthy food and boost their immunity to combat the disease.
In the Central Industrial Security Force, a 55-year-old head constable posted at the Mumbai international airport succumbed to novel coronavirus, a senior official said.
The 1.62-lakh-personnel strong force, tasked primarily to guard civil airports and vital infrastructure in the aerospace and nuclear domain, has reported 32 active COVID-19 cases so far, the official said.
The head constable was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday and he later succumbed to the infection, they said, adding he was posted at the Mumbai international airport.
The ITBP, which guards the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC), reported 37 fresh cases, and has now 82 active coronavirus cases.
The maximum cases are from a unit that was deployed for law and order duties in Delhi and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police camp in south Delhi's Tigri area.
For the second day in a row, the Central Reserve Police Force saw the least number of fresh positive COVID-19cases among the CAPFs.
The country's largest paramilitary force, with about 3.25 lakh personnel, has 159 active cases now with just one new case over the last 24 hours.
The Sashastra Seema Bal has 17 active cases.
These CAPFs, with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, are deployed for a variety of internal security duties and border-guarding tasks under the command of the Union home ministry.
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