Mumbai, April 14 (IANS) A Panama-registered vessel with 14 Indian crewmen aboard, which was confined in Somalia for six-and-half months, has been released, an Indian maritime authority statement said here Tuesday.
The general cargo ship M.V. Jaikur-I and its 21-strong international crew had been detained in Somali capital Mogadishu since Oct 2 last year owing to a dispute between owners and other concerned parties, the Director-General of Shipping (DGS) said here. The crew was released Monday.
Apart from 14 Indians, there were three Pakistanis, two Somalis, the captain who is an Iraqi national and one Filipino. All are reported to be safe and in good health, the DGS said.
The Indian Embassy in Nairobi has organised the necessary travel formalities for the Indian crew members and they left for home late Monday night by an Air India flight.
National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) general secretary A.G. Sarang expressed happiness at the development and said that the six-month long ordeal for the crewmen is finally over.
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