More than 2,500 Afghans are stranded in India after a ban on international flights by the Indian government that will begin on Monday and will continue for a week. India on Sunday applied a curfew, closing down all shops, metro stations, and other services in that country.

The transfer of the passengers will resume next Tuesday, the authority said.

The Emirates airlines will suspend flights to Kabul from March 26 to Jun 30 due to the virus outbreak, head of the authority, Mohammad Qasim Wafaeezada, said.

“Based on information from airliners, 2,500 passengers from Kam Air and more than 60 passengers from Ariana Airlines are in India and their transfer will begin next Tuesday,” he said.

“We are ready to transfer our passengers if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the (Afghan) aviation authority gives us the permission,” said Alim Shah Ibrahimi, head of Ariana Afghan Airlines.

Afghan charge de affaires in India, Tahir Qadiry, said that efforts are underway to help the Afghans stranded in India.

“We and our colleagues in Kabul are trying to find a solution for this problem and provide better conditions for the passengers in India or facilitate their departure,” Qadiry said, who has established a hotline at the Afghan embassy to help Afghans living in India.

Right now, Fly Dubai, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, and Iranian companies have flights to Afghanistan, according to the aviation authority.