An Indian cargo ship "MV Puravalan 1" has been stranded in Maldivian waters for the past 13 months.
According to the Indian news outlet "Times of India," the crew aboard the ship are from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Despite making multiple requests to the company operating the cargo ship to allow them to leave the ship, their pleas have been ignored.
The crew have now been on the ship for over a year, and they also reported that they have not been receiving their salaries.
The ship has been docked approximately 3 miles from the My Bandharu port in Malé and is prepared to set sail for Tuticorin.
"I was told more crew will join and the ship will sail to India. But no one joined even after two months. I told the management to let me off the ship, but they refused," a crew member said.
Even with the arrival of four additional Sri Lankan crew members, the boat still failed to start its journey, he said.
According to the newspaper, several complaints were filed with the relevant Indian authorities, and action against the company was finally ordered on Tuesday. The company said that they would be providing USD 1,000 per crew member as compensation, according to the newspaper.
An official from the boat operating company said that the ship is currently stuck in Malé due to orders issued by the Maldivian Civil Court.
The official denied reports suggesting that the crew on board lacked sufficient food and fuel. Assuring that the crew will receive their salaries, the official said that they will soon begin their journey to India.
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