New Delhi: Union Home Ministry identified nearly 9, 000 people attended to an Islamic missionary group that organised a religious congregation in Delhi last month. The Ministry has said on Wednesday at least 7,600 Indians and 1,300 foreigners have been identified with links to and has emerged as India’s biggest Covid- 19 pandemic. The number, however, may increase as more members of the Tableeghi Jamaat members are identified, sources said.

Data collected by the Home Ministry till April 1 shows that out of them, 1,051 have been quarantined, 21 have tested positive and two have died. Authorities said they used all resources they could to painstakingly identify 7,688 local workers of the Tableeghi Jamaat and their contacts who need to be quarantined.

Nearly 400 people linked to group have tested positive across the country, according to data released by state governments and the Home Ministry. Tamil Nadu has registered the largest share so far at 190, followed by 71 in Andhra Pradesh, 53 in Delhi, 28 in Telangana, 13 in Assam, 12 in Maharashtra, 10 in Andamans, six in Jammu and Kashmir, and two in Puducherry and Gujarat each.

Thousands of people from across India and some from countries like Malaysia and Indonesia had visited the headquarters of the Tableeghi Jamaat in a narrow winding lane in Nizamuddin last month, participating in prayer sessions and lectures over several days. Tableeghi Jamaat said that with no public transportation and all movement stopped due to a nationwide lockdown, thousands of people had been stranded inside the dormitories of the Markaz or centre after the meeting ended while others had left the city.

2,335 people were taken out of the Tableeghi centre and its mosque over a 36-hour period that ended on Wednesday, said Satyendar Jain, Health Minister of Delhi. “They have been sent to quarantine centres, others who showed symptoms are in hospitals,” he said.