VISAKHAPATNAM: More than 550 passengers are stuck onboard a private ship MV Harshavardhana since 7 pm last night off Visakhapatnam coast, which started from Visakhapatnam port to Andaman on Tuesday afternoon.
The passengers include over 150 women and around 15 kids aged below 10 years. According to sources, passengers boarded the ship at 11.15 am on Tuesday, which started from Vizag port at 1.35 pm.
After six hours of journey (around 15 to 20 nautical miles off Visakhapatnam coast), the ship reportedly halted due to technical problems. It is learnt that the problem arose in one of the generators at around 7 pm and the passengers were informed that they will be taken back to Vizag.
Ramana, a passenger onboard the ship told newsmen at Vizag over phone that though they were informed that there was a technical snag and will be transported back to Vizag, there was no further development since the ship was anchored in the deep sea.
Passengers slept in the night after they were informed that the technical problem will be sorted out and ship would start moving in night. However even after morning (Wednesday) as the ship was didn't move, few passengers contacted media.
It was learnt that passengers in the ship are panicked due to the weather conditions. Sources at the Visakhapatnam port informed that there was no distress signal from ship either to the port or the Indian navy.
"They (ship crew) are trying to sort out the problem and the ship is likely to start sailing towards Port Blair by evening," an official source said. When contacted Visakhapatnam collector Pravin Kumar at around 8.15 am on Wednesday, he said that neither district administration nor Navy has not been contacted yet.
However he said that they are checking on the issue with authorities concerned. It was learnt that authorities of Vizag port contacted the crew of ship, who reportedly told them they are working in the issue and the ship is estimated to resume at around 1pm to 2pm.