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'We salute Indian government and Coast
Guard': Rescued crew
KOCHI: Back to the shores after being
rescued by the Coast Guard, the 16
Iranian and Pakistan crew of a fishing
boat, which was adrift near
Lakshadweep after the Somali pirates
abandoned it, profusely thanked India for
saving their lives.
'We salute the Indian government and
Indian Coast Guard for saving our lives
and helping us', was how Mohammed
Kadar Baksh, hailing from Karachi in
Pakistan, told reporters in an emotion
choked voice on board the Coast Guard
vessel 'Varuna', which brought them
here on Tuesday.
The crew, all looking tired and haggard,
said they were happy to have been
rescued.
The crew, 13 Iranians and three
Pakistanis - were rescued from the boat
'al-Husaini' which was captured by
Somali pirates off Socotra, a small
archipelago of four islands and islets in
the Indian Ocean about 240 km east of
Somalia on May 16 and abandoned on
June 10 after taking away food and fuel.
'We were at the mercy of Allah', Baksh
said as he narrated how they were
captured by the 14-odd Somali pirates
soon after they set off from Konarak,
Chahabar in Iran on May 16 for the
Somalian waters for fishing, estimating
30-40 days of voyage.
Narrating their ordeal, Baksh, who spoke
in Hindi, said heavily armed pirates,
about 15 of them, terrorised the crew,
operated the fishing boat for about 25
days and disembarked taking away their
provisions and water.
'The pirates made our cook to prepare
food, which they used to eat up.
Whatever little was left, they used to
give us.'
When they left, there was only Little
rice, flour and dirty water. They had
taken away the provisions, he said.
Soon after the pirates left, Baksh said
they informed their owner through a
satellite phone.
The crew said they asked for help from
merchant ships passing by. One of the
ships gave them the number of the Coast
Guard, he said adding they drifted for 10
days and were relieved to see the
Dornier aircraft of the coast guard. They
assured that help was near.
Coast guard DIG Commander TKS
Chandran said Varuna located the fishing
boat around 5am on June 22 and
communication was established with it.
Intelligence agencies and state police
have been informed and they would be
questioning the crew, he said their
respective embassies had also been
informed.
Rescued Iranian, Pak crew thank India for saving them - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
Guard': Rescued crew
KOCHI: Back to the shores after being
rescued by the Coast Guard, the 16
Iranian and Pakistan crew of a fishing
boat, which was adrift near
Lakshadweep after the Somali pirates
abandoned it, profusely thanked India for
saving their lives.
'We salute the Indian government and
Indian Coast Guard for saving our lives
and helping us', was how Mohammed
Kadar Baksh, hailing from Karachi in
Pakistan, told reporters in an emotion
choked voice on board the Coast Guard
vessel 'Varuna', which brought them
here on Tuesday.
The crew, all looking tired and haggard,
said they were happy to have been
rescued.
The crew, 13 Iranians and three
Pakistanis - were rescued from the boat
'al-Husaini' which was captured by
Somali pirates off Socotra, a small
archipelago of four islands and islets in
the Indian Ocean about 240 km east of
Somalia on May 16 and abandoned on
June 10 after taking away food and fuel.
'We were at the mercy of Allah', Baksh
said as he narrated how they were
captured by the 14-odd Somali pirates
soon after they set off from Konarak,
Chahabar in Iran on May 16 for the
Somalian waters for fishing, estimating
30-40 days of voyage.
Narrating their ordeal, Baksh, who spoke
in Hindi, said heavily armed pirates,
about 15 of them, terrorised the crew,
operated the fishing boat for about 25
days and disembarked taking away their
provisions and water.
'The pirates made our cook to prepare
food, which they used to eat up.
Whatever little was left, they used to
give us.'
When they left, there was only Little
rice, flour and dirty water. They had
taken away the provisions, he said.
Soon after the pirates left, Baksh said
they informed their owner through a
satellite phone.
The crew said they asked for help from
merchant ships passing by. One of the
ships gave them the number of the Coast
Guard, he said adding they drifted for 10
days and were relieved to see the
Dornier aircraft of the coast guard. They
assured that help was near.
Coast guard DIG Commander TKS
Chandran said Varuna located the fishing
boat around 5am on June 22 and
communication was established with it.
Intelligence agencies and state police
have been informed and they would be
questioning the crew, he said their
respective embassies had also been
informed.
Rescued Iranian, Pak crew thank India for saving them - TOI Mobile | The Times of India Mobile Site
