Ordeal of 23 of 39 Indian sailors stranded off ports in China likely to end soon

Two cargo vessels with Indian sailors on board have been on anchorage in Chinese waters as they were not allowed to unload their cargo

The ordeal of the 23 of the 39 Indian sailors stuck on board two ships anchored off the ports of China for the past several months now seems to be ending soon.

The MV Jag Anand, which had been stranded off the Jingtang Port of China for the past six-and-a-half months, is now set to sail toward Chiba Port of Japan. Once the bulk cargo vessel reaches the port in Japan on January 14, the 23 Indian sailors on board it would disembark and would be sent to a quarantine facility. If they are found to be free from SARS-CoV-2 virus infection after the quarantine period, they would come back home in India.

“Our Seafarers stuck in China are coming back to India! Ship MV Jag Anand, having 23 Indian crews, stuck in China, is set to sail toward Chiba, Japan to carry out crew change. This could only happen due to strong leadership of @NarendraModi,” Mansukh Mandaviya, the union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, posted on Twitter.

“The seafarers will reach Chiba Port, Japan on 14th January and after following due procedure related to COVID protocols, they will fly back to India,” he added in another tweet.

The minister thanked the Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited, which owned the MV Jag Anand. “I deeply appreciate the humanitarian approach of the Great Eastern Shipping Company towards the seafarers and standing by them in this crucial time!”

The MV Jag Anand was stranded on anchorage near the Jingtang Port in the Hebei Province of China since June 13, because the port authorities of the communist country did not allow the ship to offload cargo or change crew – citing the rules enforced to contain spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Another vessel, MV Anastasia, which has 16 sailors from India, is on anchorage near Caofeidian Port in China since September 20.

Notwithstanding the strained relations between New Delhi and Beijing, the diplomats and other senior officials of the Government of India were in touch with their counterparts in China to find a way to end the plight of the sailors on board the two stranded ships.