MALAPPURAM: The family of Manesh Kesavadas, a 43-year-old from Malappuram, is in deep distress after receiving the news of his reported disappearance from the Liberian-flagged vessel M T Patmos I, while on its way to Port Dickson, Malaysia.
Kesavadas, the second officer of the vessel, joined the vessel on August 6 in Zhoushan, China, but was reported missing by the Master on October 11, while the vessel was en route from Port Dickson to Jebel Dhana, Abu Dhabi. His colleagues last saw him the previous Wednesday.
Officials from the shipping company notified Kesavadas’ family after he was reported missing. An official from the Chennai office of the company also visited Kesavadas’ wife at their flat in Kozhikode to provide further details.
Kesavadas’ family has reached out to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, P V Abdul Wahab, MP, the Maritime Union of India, and the Director General of Shipping, urging them to assist in bringing Kesavadas back home. They implored the government to take speedy steps to trace the missing person.
“We are getting updates from the Chennai office, but we are eager to get information on the vessel’s current location. We want clarity about the incident. We are feeling helpless and in desperate need of assistance from the government,” said Maya, Kesavadas’ sister. Kesavadas has dedicated 20 years to the shipping industry.