Kerala Engineer Among 17 Indians Onboard Ship Seized By Iran, Parents Pray For Son's Safety

kerala engineer among 17 indians onboard ship seized by iran, parents pray for son’s safety

Kozhikode: An elderly couple in Northern Kerala await news of their son’s saefety and pray for his return home. Their son, Shyamnath, is onboard a cargo ship in the gulf region which is linked to Israel.

Shyamnath and 16 other Indians are onboard the ship, MSC Aries, which was seized by the Iranian military near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

The parents, Vishwanathan and Shyamala, are yet to come to terms with the news. According to a PTI report, they had spoken to their son on Saturday. Later that day, they had received a call from the shipping company’s Mumbai office, who informed them about the shocking development.

“We are going through tough times…we have great concerns about the safety of our son. The company authorities said they could not contact the ship crew after the seizure,” Mr Vishwanathan said to the media.

Shyamnath hails from Velliparamba and has been serving as a second engineer in the MSC Aries for the last 10 years. He last visited his hometown last year in September, the parents said.

Besides Shyamnath, 2 men from neighbouring Palakkad and Wayanad districts were also amongst the ship’s crew members. Besides Indians, nationals from Philippines, Pakistan and Russia were also amongst the crew, Mr Vishwanathan said.

Shyamnath’s mother burst into tears while trying to talk to the media. The family, while anxious over the safety of their son, remained hopeful that the interventions made by the Centre would help bring their son and his colleagues back home to safety.

According to the report, officials sources on Friday said that India has called on Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Tehran and Delhi, to ensure the welfare and early release of the 17 Indian crew members onboard the cargo ship.

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said it is working closely with the relevant authorities for ensuring the well-being of the 25 member crew and also for the return of the vessel.

(With inputs from PTI)