AKIPRESS.COM - India has recorded its first death linked to the coronavirus, officials confirmed, BBC reports.

The 76-year-old man, from the southern state of Karnataka, returned from Saudi Arabia on 29 February after a month-long visit.

People who came in contact with the man, who died on Tuesday, are being traced and quarantined, the state's health minister said.

India has 73 confirmed cases of the virus, the health ministry says.

The dead man's test results were only made public on Thursday.

Officials say he was screened at the airport when he arrived from Saudi Arabia but showed no symptoms at the time.

After he developed difficulties last week, he was taken to hospital.