(Manisha Mahar, Intern Journalist); An Indian merchant navy has been stuck in the Jingtank port of China since June. The ship, named Jag Anand, belongs to a Mumbai-based company, Great Eastern Shipping Limited. Due to the ship being stranded, its 23 crew members have also been stranded there for about six months and are in a perilous condition. For the past five months, stranded crew members have been seeking help to return to India. Things have become such that the health of some of the crew members is also not doing well.

There has been a shortage of medicines on the ship for a long time now. The crewmembers contacted the news agency expressed their anguish. A member of the crew has stated over the phone that the ship sailed in January. The ship currently carries 1.70 lakh tonnes of Australian coal. The crew member said that he had arrived at Jingtank port in China on June 13, after running from Australia in May.

The crew member stated his pain and said that for the last five months we have been living a life of trouble. The crew members said that the Chinese port administration is not even allowing them to clear coal nor is it explaining the reason behind it.

The crew member said that the company has been made aware of its problems and they are trying to solve it through diplomatic channels. At the same time, the officer of the shipping company has said that he has also informed the DG of Shipping and the Ministry of External Affairs. Some of the 23 crew members have been onboard for the past 15 months.