According to the Ministry of External Affairs, thirty-two Indians have been on board two ships stranded in Chinese waters for the last few months and India is in regular contact with China on this matter and to ensure that their humanitarian needs are taken care of. Cases.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday that the bulk cargo ship MV Jag Anand has been anchored near Jingtang Port in Hebei Province, China since June 13 and has 23 Indian nationals as crew.
Another vessel, MV Anastasia, with 16 Indian nationals as its crew, has been anchored near the Cofedian port in China since 20 September, waiting for the discharge of its cargo, he said in a media briefing. He said, "Our embassy is in touch with the Chinese authorities. The Chinese authorities have conveyed that due to various COVID-19 related restrictions imposed by the local authorities, crew changes are not being allowed from these ports." Srivastava said that the owners of these shipping companies as well as the receiver of the cargo have also been made aware of the reasons for the delay in unloading the cargo. "The government remains in regular contact with the Chinese authorities to resolve these issues and also to ensure that the humanitarian needs of the crew are taken care of," said Srivastava.