Odia youth missing off Russia coast

Sambalpur: Siddharth Meher, a 24-year-old youth from Sambalpur, is among six persons missing after two fuel ships carrying Indian and Turkish crew caught fire in the Kerch Strait off Russia on Monday. Six other Indians had already been confirmed dead in the blaze that swept the two vessels while fuel was being transferred from one to another.
Even as Russian authorities are busy carrying out search and rescue operations, Siddharth’s family members in Sambalpur are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping for a miracle. Siddharth, who joined Nimbus Maritime in May last year, was working as a deck cadet. Siddharth is the only son of Satyanarayan and Geetanjali. The family hails from Kadobahal in Bargarh district but has been staying at Sakhipara area of Sambalpur city.

Satyanarayan said he has spoken to authorities in Nimbus Maritime. “I have sent an email to the Ministry of External Affairs as well as the Indian Embassy in Moscow. On Wednesday evening I received a call from the embassy and they confirmed that my son is missing and said that a search operation is on. They have also assured us to provide update on Siddharth,” said Satyanarayan, the regional manager of Paradip Phosphate Limited (PPL). He said he had managed to speak to two of Siddharth’s friends who were in the ship when it caught fire.

Geetanjali said she had spoken to Siddharth over Whatsapp on the day of the incident. “He said he was fine. But after the incident we have been surfing the internet to find out about him,” she said.

Siddharth was in the ship named Maestro, which along with Candy, caught fire while transferring fuel from one vessel to another in Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea and Russia.