Indian crew members plead for repatriation

Dubai, Jul 10: Three Indian crew members of a cargo vessel stranded for a month in war-ravaged Iraq, who were injured in an explosion on board the vessel in which another Indian was killed, are pleading for assistance for their repatriation.

The body of Imam Hussien, 21, from Bihar is lying in Basra hospital while the injured Deepak, 24, Arunpal Singh, 21 from Punjab, and Bansilal, 21, from Rajasthan are undergoing treatment.

The cargo vessel 'Al Aber', owned by an Iraqi national, left from Sharjah creek for Basra port on June 16 carrying general cargo when the explosion occurred, Deepak told Khaleej Times on phone from Basra.

''We are struggling for food and other facilities. Now we don't know what to do with the body of our compatriot,'' he added.

Ansar Sha, a member of the mission to the Seafarers, said it contacted the Indian mission in Baghdad for assistance to repatriate the body and send rest of the crew members home, but there was no positive answer till now.

The Indian consulate in Dubai said there are certain limitations at the moment and the Indian embassy in Baghdad is far away from Basra.

''We have contacted the mission there and we hope something will be done soon,'' a consulate official said.

UNI