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West Asia conflict: No contact from Kerala interns on ship anchored at Iran port for 24 days, families demand clarity
The families of Fadusha Farhan T U of Mananthavady in Wayanad and Jerin Joseph of Kattappana in Idukki have approached both the state and central governments
The two men, Jerin Joseph of Kattappana in Idukki and Fadusha Farhan T U of Mananthavady in Wayanad have been working on the Malta-flagged vessel, Arucas, for the past eight months. (Source: Special Arrangement)
Families of two young men from Kerala working as interns on a commercial vessel anchored at the Iranian port of Bushehr have approached authorities in the state and central governments, saying that there has been no contact with them since the outbreak of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The two men, Fadusha Farhan T U of Mananthavady in Wayanad and Jerin Joseph of Kattappana in Idukki, have been working on the Malta-flagged vessel, Arucas, for the past eight months. As per the petitions sent to authorities, the two of them had contacted their families on February 27, a day before the latest conflict broke out.
Farhan’s mother, Raihanath, said, “My son contacted me on February 27, and since then, we have not heard anything from him. He told me that they would leave the port the next morning. Over the last few weeks, we have been in touch with their institute and the agency that took them on board the ship, but no clear picture about the whereabouts of the two has emerged.”
They had completed the General Purpose Rating course at an institute in Chennai and joined the ship for an internship through a Mumbai-based agency.
Jerin’s father, Joseph Thomas, said neither the agency nor the institute was responding to calls. “Since the youths are interns, these agencies seem not to be interested in their safety and their earliest return to home. We want the Union government to intervene in the issue at the earliest and ensure the safety of our children,” he said.
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