KARACHI: The six Pakistani nationals, crew of a stranded tugboat in the Red Sea for the past two weeks, have been traced, while rescue efforts are underway. The government has started pursuing the matter, but the question is how to carry out the rescue operation as the crew were not aware of giving signals in an emergency situation.
“Thank God, they have been traced and one month food, ration, medicines and other necessary stuff have been sent for them,” social activist Ansar Burney told The News. “But it has to be investigated that these stranded-Pakistanis onboard a tugboat, Mehr, were not aware of reacting in case of an emergency situation. Even they did not know how to give signals”, he added. He also demanded to start an inquiry to identify the agent who sent them. The condition of three stranded Pakistanis was said to be serious because of drinking sea water. “As they did not have enough water, they were compelled to use sea water for drinking and cooking,” Burney explained, while quoting the stranded Pakistanis. “They were rescued on Monday but they were again dropped at the tugboat due to their salaries issue.”
Burney said the tugboat is currently in the Red Sea and about 160 miles away from Sudan and 100 miles from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The families of the stranded Pakistanis seemed to be happy now. “We are thankful to the government, navy and Ansar Burney for helping the stranded sailors out,” Asad, son of one of the stranded Pakistanis, told The News, adding that “My father and others stranded Pakistanis are now in a better condition.”
Asad said his father and others had left Karachi on September 15 and went to Dubai via plane and later, they started sailing from Bandar-e-Abbas Port. “They had to drop the tugboat in Egypt from Oman but unfortunately, they got stuck. This is not the first time when my father and others went to the sea. They actually are experienced ones”, he further said. He said the Tanzanian tugboat was to be dropped in Egypt. “My father and others cannot leave the boat because of their eight-month salaries that will be lost if they leave,” he explained.
Asadullah Khan, son of another stranded Pakistani sailor Dildar Khan, told Geo News that his father and five others got on board a tugboat as loaders on September 15 through an agent in Dubai.
Meanwhile, the Khairpur oil tanker reached the stranded Pakistani sailors on Monday night and stayed till Tuesday afternoon to provide them ration and other stuff, after taking a 50 nautical miles diversion from its usual route on special permission by Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Zaidi. It is pertinent to mention that as many as six Pakistanis, hailing from Karachi, have been stranded onboard a tugboat for the past 15 days, after both the engines of the ship had stopped working, while they had been travelling from Oman to Eygpt.