Pakistani crew members trapped on foreign vessel with no food or water

Three crew members from Pakistan, including the captain of a foreign cargo ship, have been stranded at Beira Port in Mozambique, with food and water supplies completely depleted, ARY News reported.

The vessel has reportedly run out of food and water, and the onboard refrigerators are now empty.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, has taken notice of the situation and issued immediate instructions to assist the stranded Pakistanis.

According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Director General of Ports and Shipping is in constant communication with Captain Aslam, the Pakistani captain of the ship.

 

The vessel has been docked for nearly nine months, and the crew has not received salaries for several months.

The situation has worsened significantly as onboard supplies have run out. The ship’s fuel reserves are also nearly depleted, leaving the crew in danger of being left completely powerless at sea.

The crisis stems from an ongoing financial dispute between the ship’s Italian owners and Mozambican port authorities.

Despite the ship having completed its cargo discharge, the sold goods remain in court custody, and related payments are still pending, blocking further support or release of necessary supplies.

In a special conversation with ARY News, Captain Muhammad Aslam explained that the limited provisions provided at the port were only enough for four days.

“Now even the water and food have completely run out, and the fuel will be gone any time,” he said.

He added that the promised resupply never arrived, and communication has been difficult due to the absence of a Pakistani embassy in Mozambique.

The ministry is also coordinating with authorities in Mozambique to carry out the necessary procedures to ensure the crew’s safety and well-being.

The ship reportedly has a total of 12 crew members on board, including three Pakistanis and nine Indonesians.

The Ministry has confirmed that Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also actively involved in the matter to provide diplomatic support.

Efforts are underway at multiple levels to ensure the safe return of the Pakistani nationals and the resolution of the crisis.

Also Read: PIA begins safe return of Pakistanis stranded in Iran

On June 17, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) started a special operation to bring back Pakistanis stranded in Iran amid Israel-Iran conflict.

A PIA aircraft departed from Peshawar to Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, on Tuesday evening to facilitate the evacuation.

With the assistance of the Pakistani embassy, 150 Pakistanis were transported from the Iranian city of Mashhad to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

These individuals, who were stuck due to the closure of Iranian airspace, will be flown back to their homeland via a special PIA flight from Ashgabat.

Following government directives, PIA has announced that additional special flights will be arranged to ensure the safe return of more stranded citizens.