25 Indian sailors aboard cargo vessel feared dead

Mumbai, March 10: All twenty-five Indian crew members aboard the Panamanian cargo vessel MV Rezzak that went missing in the Black Sea while on its way to Turkey from Russia have died, said letters issued by the vessel's managing agent to the family of deceased.

"The letters have been issued as a matter of regular procedure and it in no way indicates that search and investigations have been abandoned," said Santhosh Biswas, director of Pelican Marine, Pelican Marine, the agency that hired the crew for the vessel. Biswas further said that the Directorate General of Shipping and Panamian officials are probing the incident. MV Rezzak carrying 25 Indian crew and steel billets as cargo left Russia for Turkey on February 17, a 24-hour voyage. Next day, the vessel with the crew went missing and there was no distress call.

A Turkish national owns the vessel. Mumbai-based Pelican Marine recruited the crew for MV Rezzak. Turkish authorities are carrying out the search and rescue operation.

The Turkish ship was equipped with an automatic identification system, but this was not in use or switched off mode when it left Russia.

ANI