INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Twenty Indian crew members and a Sri Lankan are stranded on board the Dali, the container ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key
For the last seven weeks, they have been confined to the vessel due to an ongoing probe
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
members with young children at home, and the outside world, as their mobile phones had been confiscated by the Federal Bureau of
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
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
leave the ship due to visa restrictions, reported the BBC.CREW MEMBERS FEAR PERSONAL CRIMINAL LIABILITYThe 21 crew members on the Dali are
like paying their bills.Dave Heindel, president of the Seafarers International Union, stressed that regardless of how long the investigation
utilise mobile devices to conduct personal business for bill payments, and, more important, transfer money to their home country to sustain
PHONES, INDIAN SNACKSAndrew Middleton, from the Apostleship of Sea -- a programme that ministers to ships coming through Baltimore -- shared
were from, and talk about if they were married or had children, we got the ball rolling
They were willing to kind of poke fun at one another a little bit...
Singapore-based management company -- said that the crew members had unlimited use of satellite communication so that they could be in touch
with the family, reported the ABC News.The crew members were also given care packages, including Indian snacks and handmade quilts.Darrel
2.6-km-long four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26
The 984-foot cargo ship was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka.Six construction workers who went missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in
After the hit, the cement and steel fell into the Patapsco River and left the ship stranded.The bridge was 8,636 feet (2,632 m) long and
carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually.The Francis Scott Key Bridge serves as a crucial transportation link in the Washington
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore, which is 40 miles from Washington
The bridge was built at an approximate cost of $60.3 million.Source: India Today--Agencies
