NEW DELHI: Nearly a month after the MSC Aries cargo vessel was seized by Iranian authorities, five more Indian sailors were released on Thursday and are on their way back home. Eleven Indian sailors remain in Iran.
"These five sailors on MSC Aries have been released and are on their way to India. We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday.
It may be recalled that on April 12th, MSC Aries was seized by Iranian authorities. Amongst the crew on board, 17 of the 25 sailors were from India.
A lone woman sailor was released and sent to Kochi earlier on April 19. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar had a telephonic conversation with his Iranian counterpart right after the vessel was seized and was assured of the safety of the crew.
"We have been in contact with all sailors. They are in good health, we had a consular access. Their return is dependent on several factors including their contractual obligations. We are in touch with them and also the Iranian authorities for their release," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, following the travel advisory issued by India for Iran and Israel sometime back, the MEA advised its citizens to travel there with caution.
"We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region. We have also noted that Iran and Israel have opened their airspace for several days now. We advise Indian nationals to remain vigilant while travelling to these countries and be in touch with the Indian Embassy," the MEA had said.