THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a rare humanitarian move, 12 crew members aboard the Liberia-flagged cargo vessel MSC Akiteta-II were permitted to disembark at Vizhinjam International Seaport after being stranded for nearly four months, on Saturday.
A special permission was obtained from immigration authorities allowing the crew change despite the port’s lack of an Integrated Check Post (ICP), marking the first such operation under special circumstances.
Among those relieved was Chief Engineer Avjaye Aggrey John Kobina, a Ghanaian national whose Seaman’s Book was nearing expiration. The departing crew was replaced by an 11-member team, including two Keralites, in a coordinated operation led by Waterline Shipping and Logistics, a Thiruvananthapuram-based agency appointed by MSC.
The crew transfer was facilitated at the Kerala Maritime Board’s port, which has ICP infrastructure. The sign-off team was ferried from the vessel using Adani Ports’ tug boat Dolphin 27, and immigration formalities were completed under the Travel and Landing Clearance protocol. Kobina departed from Thiruvananthapuram Airport on Sunday.
Until now, Vizhinjam port had only permitted crew changes during medical emergencies. However, mounting personal emergencies and expiring documentation among the crew prompted the intervention.