CUTTACK: An Odia sailor Ashok Kumar Dixit, hailing from CDA-Sector-6 in Cuttack, is currently stranded aboard a ship near Qatar port amid the escalating West Asia conflict and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting his wife to appeal to the state and central governments for his rescue.
Speaking to mediapersons here, Smruti Rekha Sahoo said her husband, who is serving as chief officer, sailed to Qatar for transporting LPG shipment to India in November last year. He was scheduled reach India on March 10.
“It has been now 10/11 days, but he has not returned because of the Iran-Israel conflict. His ship, which started its return journey carrying about 48,000 metric tonnes of LPG on February 28, has remained stranded at Ras Laffan anchorage. Ras Laffan is one of Qatar’s main port, but due to the war, the ship has been unable to proceed,” said Sahoo.
Urging government authorities to take immediate steps to bring him back safely, Sahoo said, “We are extremely worried as missiles are constantly being fired which we noticed from the video sent by him. Food and water supplies are running short as it has already been 21 days since the war began.”
Dixit, chief officer of the LPG vessel, sent a message mentioning that his ship has remained stranded at Ras Laffan anchorage in Qatar, approximately 12 nautical miles from the coast. “As per media reports, it is being stated that everything is normal in the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran has allowed Indian ships to pass. However, the ground reality is quite different,” stated Dixit in his message. Only two LPG vessels belonging to Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) have exited the Persian Gulf. Twenty LPG carriers, including his are still stranded in the Persian Gulf, he informed.
“My intention in sharing this is to provide accurate information to the public about the different situation we are facing. As of now, the Strait of Hormuz does not appear to be fully open for Indian vessels. If it is officially opened, then the question remains, why so many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf,” Dixit questioned.