146 Indian crew members stuck on cruise to disembark in Mumbai

Mumbai: As many as 146 Indian crew members stranded on a cruise ship due to the coronavirus pandemic, will disembark in Mumbai on Thursday, over a month after it set off from Thailand, the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Wednesday.

The ship – Marila Discovery – had reached Mumbai coast on April 14. None of them have tested positive for the infection, the CMO said in a statement.

“The ship was to travel to Kochi, New Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai between April 2 and 6. When the pandemic started, the cruise let off all the passengers in Thailand on March 14. But permission was not given for the cruise staff and employees to disembark in Kochi,” it said.

“The company said despite leaving Thailand 37 days ago and although no employee was infected, it was not getting permission to allow the ship to enter the harbour,” the statement said.

“The Ministry of Shipping allowed the cruise to come to the Mumbai harbour after the matter was pursued by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray with the Centre. The ship reached Mumbai on April 14,” it added.

The 146 persons will undergo a medical checkup and a separate building has been readied if they need to be quarantined, the statement said.