New Delhi, Jan 18 (UNI) Sufferings of 23 Indian crew members stuck on the ship MV Jag Anand since June last year have finally come to an end as all of them will fly back to India in the next 36 hours.

These Indian sailors have reached Japanese port Chiba on Monday for crew change and first batch of around a dozen seafarers will leave for India Monday night. Second batch is expected to leave for India on Tuesday, an official in the Shipping Ministry said.

Citing coronavirus-related restrictions, Chinese authorities have not allowed the ship, MV Jag Anand to either dock or go for a crew change for months.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had informed that Indian Ambassador in Beijing took up the issue of 39 Indian sailors stranded on two cargo ships in Chinese waters and requested early approval for crew change for Indian crew members aboard the two vessels with the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister.

Apart from MV Jag Anand, the vessel MV Anastasia with 16 Indian nationals as its crew, was on anchorage near Caofeidian port in China since September 20, waiting for discharge of its cargo.

After a long discussion with the Chinese authorities, the said vessel was allowed to sail to Japan on January 10.

Another ship MV Anastasia with Indian crew has also been exploring the possibility of a crew change at its current point of anchorage in Caofeidian and the Indian Embassy has written to Chinese authorities for approval of the same.

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