16 Indian seamen stranded on ship in Dubai for almost a year

At least 16 Indian seamen are reported to be trapped onboard an empty cargo ship.

According to the Gulf News, the ship has been anchored in Rashid Port for almost a year.

The daily quoted Captain Aninda Sengupta of the Maharishi Devatreya cargo ship, as saying that the vessel had arrived at Rashid Port in July last year from the New Mangalore Port.

The cargo ship is owned by Varun Shipping. Captain sengupta said that he joined the ship in November last year.

The ship is anchored 12 miles into the sea from Port Rashid.

Captain Sengupta described his crew and himself as prisoners on the ship, as they could not leave it because they did not have visas to land in the country.

He also said that they could not go back to India because the ship's certificates had expired on December 29, 2013.

Sengupta said that the ship's certificates would have been renewed, had they moved to the dry docks.

He said that contact is being maintained with the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), but the latter was not available for comment.