14 Indian sailors held by Houthis thank UAE community for Yemen rescue

Dubai - ‘We won’t forget your help’

By Staff Reporter

Published: Tue 8 Dec 2020, 12:59 AM

Help from the UAE community poured in for 14 Indian sailors, who were reportedly held captive by Houthi rebels in Yemen for nearly 10 months. With the support of Indian missions, social workers, and philanthropists, the seafarers finally flew home last Sunday via Dubai.

The 14 Indian sailors had travelled from Mumbai, India, to Muscat last January to work for an Oman-based shipping company. There, they were accompanied by six others — five Bangladeshis and one Egyptian.

The seafarers were reportedly kidnapped in February after their ship capsized off Yemen’s coast.

“The Indian Embassy in Yemen, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India, and Sudheer Thirunilath, who heads the Pravasi Legal Cell in Bahrain, ensured the safe release of 14 abducted Indian nationals,” social worker Sreedharan Prasad told Khaleej Times.

The embassy in Yemen had arranged the safe repatriation of the Indian nationals, he added.

Dr Dhananjay Datar, an Indian businessman in the UAE, also helped facilitate the rescue by maintaining contact with the Indian Embassy in Djibouti.

When the crew arrived at Dubai International Airport last Saturday, they didn’t have a penny in their pockets. Dr Aman Puri, Consul-General of India to Dubai, and Harjeet Singh Consul (Labour I) promptly looked into the matter. “The officials from the Indian Consulate in Dubai reached the airport in an hour and extended all support to ensure their safe return back home,” Prasad said.

Dr Datar, CMD, Al Adil Trading LLC, also donated a sum of Rs20,000 each as emergency help to the rescued workers.

The sailors were able to fly to Mumbai at 9.30am on Sunday by Air India Express.

‘Stuck in a war zone’

“The crew started their first voyage on two ships on February 3 to the Yanbu port. On February 12, the sea turned turbulent and one ship sank,” Al Adil Trading said in a statement.

“Fortunately, the crew members of the sunken ship were rescued in time and their journey continued via another ship. Soon after, the weather turned rough and cyclonic, which forced the ship to anchor on the spot.”

The sailors didn’t know that the point at which they anchored was a war zone. As a result, the entire crew was reportedly arrested and confined for further enquiry.

“Their passports, documents, cell phones and cash were seized,” the company added.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com