22 Indian sailors along with several international crew members and a fuel tanker went missing from West Africa since two days. As per the reports, the ship’s owners have announced that the tanker loaded with around 13,500 tonnes of gas oil went missing. Last it was contacted off the coast of Benin in the Gulf of Guniea. A Panama flag merchant ship went missing on Thursday with 22 Indian crew members including two from Kerala. The owners of MT Marine Express tanker ship have sought the help of director general of shipping in Mumbai to get in touch with their counterparts Benin and Nigeria to carry out the search operation of the merchant ship.
Yesterday, official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs tweeted that merchant ship carrying 22 Indians went missing. He also tweeted that our mission in Nigeria, Abuja is to get in touch with the authorities in Benin and Nigeria for expanding the help in locating the ship. He said that the situation has been constantly monitoring. Also, he shared the 24-hour helpline number +234-9070343860 which has been set up by the Embassy for the information of those missing sailors. As per the reports, a merchant vessel Marine Express which went missing has owned by Mumbai based Anglo-Eastern shipping company.
The Chief surveyor who holds additional charge as director general of shipping BR Shekhar also shared that the owners of a ship have lost contact with their tanker on 1st February. And then they informed Nigeria authorities and the coast guard to carry out a search operation. However, there is no trace of merchant tanker has been found. The search operation is still going on across the coast off West Africa. As per the reports, the region near Benin from where the ship went missing is known as the pirate-infested and several ships have been targeted earlier.
A merchant vessel Marine Express (oil tanker), owned by Mumbai-based Anglo Eastern shipping company with 22 Indian nationals onboard, is presumably missing off the coast of Benin in the Gulf of Guinea.
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 3, 2018
Our Mission in Abuja (Nigeria) is in touch with the authorities in Benin and Nigeria for their help in locating the ship and is constantly monitoring the situation. A 24-hour helpline number set up by the Embassy for information on those missing is +234-9070343860
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 3, 2018
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