8 Indians stuck at sea for 7 months

Dubai, Sept. 25: Eight Indian sailors are stranded without full wages for nine months aboard a vessel in Dubai, a media report said on Tuesday.

The crew members of the Panama flagged ship, that entered Dubai waters in November last year, claimed that their company has abandoned them without providing wages and enough food and fuel, Gulf News reported.

The ship, MV Topman, is docked at berth No. 13 in Dubai Maritime City ( DMC).

The crew members said that they have only been paid one month’s salary since they reached Dubai waters and alleged that there is minimal supply of food and drinking water, the report said.

They had been supplied food twice by Nautical Institute UAE.

As they are running out of fuel, the crew members have started rationing fuel for night and have been spending the daytime under a tarpaulin roof on the deck since Friday, the report said.

“We are just surviving. We have lost seven- eight kilos. We don’t have energy in us. Our families are suffering back home. The situation is so tough that we are on the verge of ( committing) suicide,” said one of them.

The sailors cannot leave the ship since they do not have the UAE visas.

“If any accident or medical emergency happens, we cannot even go out to seek help. The ship’s MLC complaint certificate and all the firefighting appliances are expired,” said a senior crew member.

CREW MEMBERS of Panama flagged ship, that entered Dubai waters in November last year, claimed that their company has abandoned them without providing wages, food and fuel.