As many as 10 South African travellers have reportedly gone missing after reaching Bengaluru, following which the state government directed officials to look into the matter, trace them immediately and get them tested.

Amid fears of further spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus with two persons testing positive to the strain in the state on Thursday, minister R Ashoka was quoted by HT as saying, "It has come out in the media that 10 people are untraceable. Officials have been directed to look into it, trace them by tonight and get them tested."

Stating that he has no official information about it, health minister K Sudhakar said in case they have not been traced, the police are efficient enough to find them, as in the past. "But my appeal is that no one should switch off their mobiles and go untraceable. It is not the right way. They should behave responsibly."

This comes after a 66-year-old South African - India's first confirmed Omicron Covid case - "fled" the country a week after landing in Bengaluru. The man, who had received both vaccine doses, tested positive on arrival and because he was asymptomatic, was asked to self-isolate. His samples were sent for testing.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, 13 of nearly 300 people on flights originating outside the country disappeared after providing false addresses and contact information. Seven flew in from South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first reported, an NDTV said quoting news agency ANI. Officials are trying to track and test them for COVID-19.