Connect with us

News

Crew of 20 Indians and Lankan stuck on crippled ship in Baltimore for 7 weeks, can’t pay bills

Published

2 years ago

on

Twenty Indian crew members and a Sri Lankan are stranded on board the Dali, the container ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. For the last seven weeks, they have been confined to the vessel due to an ongoing probe. With their phones confiscated, they cannot even pay bills for their families back home, the Indian media reported.

“They can’t do any online banking. They can’t pay their bills at home. They don’t have any of their data or anyone’s contact information, so they’re really isolated right now. They just can’t reach out to the folks they need to, or even look at pictures of their children before they go to sleep. It’s really a sad situation,” Joshua Messick, executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center, a non-profit organisation that works to protect the rights of mariners, was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Twenty-one sailors, 20 from India and one from Sri Lanka, are stuck on board the Dali, a container vessel that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, since March 26 due to the ongoing investigation. That’s seven weeks.

The 21 on board were left without communication for weeks with their families, causing significant hardship for crew members with young children at home, and the outside world, as their mobile phones had been confiscated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a part of the investigation into the crash.

Tuesday’s initial report by federal safety investigators raises several unanswered questions.

For instance, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) outlined four power failures experienced by the 290-metre-long ship, reported ABC News.

The causes of three of these failures remain unclear, including two that happened just before the crash.

Despite explosives being used to remove part of the bridge from the ship’s hull on Monday, the crew still cannot leave the ship.

The crew of 21, including 20 Indians, will remain on board until the probe into the incident is completed, reported ABC News.

The US authorities have already begun interviewing the crew members on board the vessel, and have collected documents and voyage data recorder extracts as part of their investigation.

The crew, consisting of 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan, couldn’t leave the ship due to visa restrictions, reported the BBC.

The 21 crew members on the Dali are facing emotional distress, and they are also fearful of personal criminal liability.

The sailors’ situations caught the attention of their two unions — the Singapore Maritime Officers’ and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen.

In a statement together on May 11, they mentioned that “morale has understandably dipped”, driven by “unfounded fear of personal criminal liability” and emotional distress.

The unions also asked for the quick return of the sailors’ mobile phones so that they could connect with their family and make other arrangements at home, like paying their bills.

Dave Heindel, president of the Seafarers International Union, stressed that regardless of how long the investigation lasts, the rights of crew members and their welfare should not be infringed upon.

“We call on the authorities to be mindful that seafarers utilise mobile devices to conduct personal business for bill payments, and, more important, transfer money to their home country to sustain families. Crew members are becoming demoralised without the basic tools we all take for granted,” said Heindel, reported BBC.


Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Flood warning issued to the Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa, Udunuwara, Yatinuwara, Gangawata Korale, Harispattuwa, and Pathadumbara

Published

7 hours ago

on

2026/09/20

By

Due to heavy rainfall received in the upper catchment areas of the Mahaweli River over the past few hours, there is a risk of minor flooding in the low-lying areas surrounding the Mahaweli River within the Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa, Udunuwara, Yatinuwara, Gangawata Korale, Harispattuwa, and Pathadumbara.Residents living in the above mentioned areas and motorists using roads passing through these areas are urged to exercise extreme caution and remain highly vigilant regarding the prevailing situation.

Furthermore, residents living in close proximity to the Mahaweli River in these areas are advised to remain highly alert to the situation and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves from any potential flooding.The relevant disaster management authorities are requested to take all necessary measures in response to this situation.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Landslide Red Alerts issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya

Published

7 hours ago

on

2026/09/20

By

The National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has  issued landslide Red Alerts to the districts of Kandy,  Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya effective from 14:00 hrs on 20.09.2026 To 14:00 hrs on 21.09.2026

Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] Land Slide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district,  Dehiowita,  Aranayake,  Deraniyagala,  Mawanella and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district and Kothmale West, Kotmale East,  Ambagamuwa and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district

LEVEL II [AMBER] Land Slide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Padukka in the Colombo district, Nagoda, Thawalama and Neluwa in the Galle district, Bulathsinhala, Palindanuwara, Walallawita and Agalawatta in the Kalutara district, Ganga Ihala Korale in the Kandy district, Bulathkohupitiya and Kegalle in the Kegalle district,  Akuressa and Pitabeddara in the Matara district, Thalawakele in the Nuwara Eliya district and Pelmadulla, Ratnapura, Ayagama, Kuruwita and Ratnapura in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I [YELLOW] Land Slide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka in the Colombo district, Niyagama and Baddegama in the Galle district, Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya in the Kalutara district, Udapalatha and Yatinuwara in the Kandy district,  Galigamuwa, Warakapola and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Kotapola, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, and  Eheliyagoda, Kalawana and Elapatha in the Ratnapura district.

 

Continue Reading

News

Development projects can deliver results to the people more quickly when the political authority and the public service work together towards a common goal – PM

Published

9 hours ago

on

2026/09/20

By

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that development projects can deliver results to the people more quickly when the political authority and the public service work together towards a common, people-oriented objective.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in a discussion held on Friday [September 18] at the Western Province Council Auditorium to review the progress of the development project to rehabilitate Rathmalana Kandawala Road and the drainage system on either side of the road, within the Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia Municipal Council limits in the Colombo District.

The project, which commenced on September 10, 2026, is scheduled to be completed before June 30, 2027. Implemented by the Provincial Road Development Authority (PRDA), the project includes the construction of a bridge at a cost of Rs. 64 million, the rehabilitation of the drainage system at a cost of Rs. 930 million, and the rehabilitation of the road at a cost of Rs. 115 million.

The Prime Minister also paid special attention to the progress of the responsibilities assigned to the Western Province Council, the Irrigation Department and the Ratmalana Divisional Secretariat in accordance with decisions taken at the previous committee meeting. Attention was also given to the current status of the plans being carried out by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLRDC), as well as the construction and maintenance activities being undertaken by the Provincial Road Development Authority (PRDA).

Commending the expedite and commendable progress of the project, the Prime Minister particularly appreciated the commitment demonstrated by officials of the relevant government institutions to work in close coordination with one another and in collaboration with the political authority.

The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of taking measures well in advance to control flooding and minimise its impact on Colombo and several other districts in view of the rainy weather that may affect the Western Province during the latter part of this year.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Colombo District Coordinating Committee and Member of Parliament Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, Chairperson of the Ratmalana Divisional Coordinating Committee and Member of Parliament Samanmalee Gunasinghe, Chairman of the Roads Sub-Committee of the Colombo District Coordinating Committee Dewananda Suraweera, Mayor of the Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia Municipal Council Parakum Shantha, Chief Secretary of the Western Province K.G. Pradeep Pushpakumara, along with a number of government officials.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Continue Reading

Trending