Ever Given ship: Shipping Ministry says in touch with concerned authorities over crew safety

With an all-Indian 25-member crew working on the Ever Given container ship that had blocked Suez Canal, Union Ministry of Shipping on Tuesday said it is in touch with concerned authorities about the safety of the crews.

“The Ministry is monitoring the situation. The Director General of Shipping is in touch with concerned authorities regarding the well being of Indian crews. However there is nothing to comment on this issue as of now,” said an official in the Shipping Ministry.

Dismissing apprehension about the possibility of Indian crew facing legal issues including criminal charges, the official said “investigation is going to find out the cause for the incident. It is too early to speculate.”

Apart from the Indian crew, the ship had two pilots from Egypt's Suez Canal Authority board the vessel to guide it when the grounding happened, said the official.

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An investigation has already started. Experts have boarded the ship as it idled Tuesday in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake, near blocking the canal, said the official.

“So far no criminal charges were put on the crew. Let us not speculate. Let investigation take place to find out what caused the mishap,” Captain Sanjay Parashar, Member, National Shipping Board told DH.

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“We expect issues should be resolved early and ship should be allowed to further voyage at the earliest,” he said.

The vessel being owned by a Japanese firm, operated by a Taiwanese shipper, flagged in Panama.