Seventy Gujarati crew members of five vessels are stranded in the war zone in Yemen for two weeks, even as heavy shelling by the Saudi Arabia-led forces fighting rebels in Yemen continues.
On August 8, seven sailors were killed when Saudi-led forces bombed two boats near al-Khokha, a small port near Hodeidah city, Yemen. The authorities performed the last rites of those killed and buried them there, after informing family members in Gujarat.
“The stranded crew are from different parts of Gujarat. They have been making distress calls,” Adam Bhaya, secretary, Indian Sailing Vessels Association, Jam Salaya, told The Hindu . “I have spoken to the officials of the Foreign Ministry and also people at the Indian embassy in Riyadh and sought help.”
“The sailors are in a dangerous situation. They escaped death narrowly on Saturday night when some force, either of the insurgents or the Saudi coalition, fired rocket launchers,” said Hazi Juneja, president of Vessel Owners, Mandavi, Kutch.
Of the five ships, three are from Dubai and two from Gujarat, but the sailors are all from Gujarat. “They had gone to deliver general cargo,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wali Mohamed, a sailor stranded in Yemen, told The Hindu over phone that they had left the port and found temporary shelter in a nearby mosque.
“I don’t know what will happen to us because the airstrikes continue,” Wali, a resident of Kutch in Gujarat, said.
India said on Sunday that it was taking steps to ensure safe evacuation of its nationals.
(With additional inputs from PTI)
