UK to send another civilian aircraft to help Britons leave Wuhan

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab gestures as he appears on BBC TV's The Andrew Marr Show in London, Britain February 2, 2020. Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Office said late on Tuesday that it will charter another civilian aircraft to help British nationals and their dependents leave China's Wuhan for the UK on Sunday amidst the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

"The Foreign Office is chartering a second and final UK flight with space to help all British nationals and their dependants remaining in Hubei to leave," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.

Britain had earlier advised its citizens to leave China if they were able to, to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus.

The flu-like virus has killed 490 people in mainland China, spread to several other countries and caused the world's No.2 economy to be hit by travel curbs and business shut-downs.

(Reporting by Rebekah Mathew and Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler and Himani Sarkar)