Moscow

Chinese border guards have stopped a train traveling from Beijing to Moscow and removed all passengers to reduce the risk of the new coronavirus spreading, a source from the local Russian authorities told Sputnik.

Starting from Monday, Russia has completely suspended passenger train traffic from China. The authorities of Zabaykalsky region, which borders China to the north-east, said that the empty Chinese train arrived in the region overnight.

"There were 136 passengers on the train. The Chinese side met the regional authorities halfway and dropped off the passengers. They are all Chinese citizens," the source said.

According to the Zabaykalsky governor's press service, Chinese citizens can still cross the border with a residence permit, after which they will be directed to quarantine rooms that have been prepared in the region.

The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December and has since spread to more than 20 countries. The virus has so far killed 361 people and infected over 17,000 others in China alone. The first coronavirus-related death outside China was confirmed in the Philippines on Sunday.

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