Bombay High Court frees 50 sailors abandoned aboard 3 ships
India
The Bombay High Court has stepped in to free 50 Indian sailors who were stuck on three ships in the Arabian Sea since February.
The vessels (MT Asphalt Star, MT Stellar Ruby, and MT Al Jafzia) had been detained over alleged illegal fuel transfers.
The crew said they were abandoned by their owners and left with barely enough drinking water to get by.
Court orders speedy repatriation paperwork
The judges made it clear that human lives matter more than ships, saying, "For them life comes only once, and they have to feed their family members..."
They were shocked by reports of the sailors cooking with burning wood and not getting paid.
The court told authorities to speed up the paperwork so these seafarers can finally come home.