9 Indian Seafarers Released By Libyan Rebel Group After Months Of Captivity

Nine sailors from India who had been held captive for many months by a local militia in Libya were finally released, individuals familiar with the development mentioned on Saturday.

Following their release on Wednesday, they reached Tripoli, where India’s Ambassador to Tunisia received them.

It’s also understood that the group reportedly contacted the Indian embassy in Tunisia on 15 February and mentioned that Merchant Vessel named MT Maya 1, where they had been working, suddenly broke down close to the coast of Libya and that they had been taken into captivity by a local militia.

The Indian mission immediately took up the issue with relevant Libyan authorities seeking consular access, ensuring the group is safe, and facilitating repatriation as soon as possible.

The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian mission continued following up on the matter with concerned authorities in Libya. They kept the family members of the Indians posted about the developments in this case.

The group has been put up in a hotel in Tripoli until all their exit visa formalities are done, the individuals cited above mentioned.

The ship is owned by a Greek major and flies the flag of Cameroon. It was sailing to Tripoli from Malta, loaded with petroleum products.

Of nine Indian crew members, five hail from Uttar Pradesh and one each from West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh.

References: NDTV, Times Of India, Deccan Herald

Latest Shipping News You Would Like:

Indian Navy Moves Proposal To Acquire 2nd Indigenous Aircraft Carrier After INS Vikrant

Posted on September 21, 2023

India’s Navy has reportedly submitted its proposal to the Indian government to build a second aircraft carrier, per ANI.

Antonis I. Angelicoussis Becomes The First Dual-Fuel VLCC Certified By Green Award

Posted on September 21, 2023

Maran Tankers Management, the Greece’s Angelicoussis Group’s oil shipping arm (which boasts more than 140 vessels) manages Antonis I. Angelicoussis.

Massive Explosion Damages Cargo Ship Near Romania’s Danube Port

Posted on September 21, 2023

Romanian authorities informed that an explosion took place on a vessel close to the Danube port of Sulina on Wednesday.

World War II Era U.S Naval Logbooks Help Fill Critical Gap In Climate Record

Posted on September 21, 2023

A unique volunteer effort for digitizing WWII-era U.S. naval logbooks has been aiding in filling up a crucial gap in the climate record.

Tanker Suez Rajan Involved In The US Seizure Of Iranian Oil Cargo Changes Its Name

Posted on September 21, 2023

Oil tanker, Suez Rajan, seized by the US for transporting Iranian oil and then directed to the U.S. Gulf Coast, was sailing to the Bahamas on Wednesday with a new name.