GUANGZHOU, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A charter flight has brought back 89 stranded Hubei residents from Thai resort of Phuket following the novel coronavirus epidemic in China, according to an airline.

The 89 travelers, including three infants, arrived in Wuhan, the capital of epidemic-hit Hubei Province, on Saturday evening via the charter flight operated by China Southern Airlines, the airline said.

Medical personnel from Guangdong Province also boarded the plane to help with the preventative anti-epidemic measures before and during the flight. Due to the epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, some Chinese citizens from Hubei, especially those from Wuhan, have encountered difficulties coming back home from overseas.

The Chinese government on Friday announced that it would send charter flights to bring these residents directly back home as soon as possible.