The Indian Coast Guard rescued three officers from an LPG carrier stranded off Mumbai Port yesterday. Maharshi Vamadeva, owned by the cash-strapped Varun Shipping Company, has been anchored off Mumbai's coast for the past two months after its owner abandoned it. The captain was forced to intimate the coast guard's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai after the health of three officers deteriorated following a days-long hunger strike. The captain said the vessel had been anchored off Mumbai since 7 January with absolutely no support from the company, a point corroborated by IHS Maritime's vessel-tracking data. The 25 crew members on board have not been paid their dues since September 2013. "The change-around scheduled on 14 January was not affected, leading to [the] devastated state of the crew," the coast guard said in a statement. Second officer Ashish Kumar, chief engineer Arun Kumar and gas engineer Avil Dmello went on hunger strike to protest against the apathy of the owner, and their condition became critical yesterday. A medical team boarded the vessel and evacuated the crew before providing them with the necessary medical help. The crew members were later handed over to owners' representatives.
Source IHS