Nearly 10 months after an explosion and fire on a ship off Nigeria, the family of a Second Engineer here has moved the Madras High Court to know his fate.
The court on Monday admitted a writ petition filed by his son and ordered notice returnable in 12 weeks.
In the petition filed through counsel P. Muthusamy, R. Anderson Xavier Raj of Royapuram stated that his father Silvester Robert Xavier Raj, joined the ship, M.T.ITB Jacksonville, as a Second Engineer on July 12 last year. While the vessel was anchored10 miles away from the Nigerian coast on September 4, there was an explosion on board and the engine room was engulfed in a fire, which raged for four days. Five crew members died.
On September 9, the Nigerian Navy assisted the ship and recovered the bodies of four crewmen. The petitioner said that his father was in the engine room at the time of the accident. Unfortunately, the navy personnel could not locate him because the damage to the engine room was extensive. Mr. Raj said that Noah Marine Services P.Ltd, the recruiting/managing agent, was duty-bound to inform the victim’s family at the earliest not later than 24 hours of the receipt of the information in case of any casualties of Indian seafarers.
The agent violated an order of the Director-General of March 17, 2006 by not informing the family members till date about the accident.
Several letters were sent to the authorities to assist the family. The attempts were in vain. Every day, the family was suffering without knowing the fate of Mr.Silvester Robert Xavier Raj.
When the matter came up, Justice K.Chandru ordered notice.
