The Indian Embassy in Beijing is in contact with the Chinese authorities on the condition of the Indian sailors on board bulk cargo vessel MV Jag Anand and MV Anastasia that have been stranded in Jingtang and Caofeidian ports for several months.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava confirmed that the vessels were not allowed to change their crew members because of restrictions in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. “The owners of these shipping companies as well as the receivers of the cargo have been made aware of the reasons for delay in unloading of the cargo,” he said.
MV Jag Anand had been on anchorage near the Jingtang port in Hebei province since June 13 and MV Ananstasia stranded since last September 20. Earlier reports suggested that the sailors were stranded without change of crew because of a trade dispute between China and Australia, he said.
MV Anastasia is a Swiss-Italian vessel and MV Jag Anand an Indian ship.
“The government continues to be in regular touch with the Chinese authorities to seek a resolution of these issues at the earliest and also to ensure that the humanitarian needs of the crew are taken care of,” Mr. Srivastava added.
