Kochi: Ann Tessa Joseph, one of the 17 Indians onboard the MSC Aries cargo ship seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guard in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman, reached safely at the Cochin International Airport on Thursday afternoon, said the Ministry of External Affairs in a press note.
Twenty-one-year-old Ann is a native of Veluthur in Thrissur. She has been working as a trainee on the ship for the past nine months.
“Indian deck cadet Ms Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, a member of the crew on vessel MSC Aries returned home today”, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to X. “@India_in_Iran, with the support of Iranian authorities, facilitated her return. Mission is in touch with Iranian side to ensure the well being of the remaining 16 crew members”, Jaiswal added.
According to the press release, the Indian Mission in Tehran is in touch with the remaining 16 Indian crew members of the container vessel. “The crew members are in good health and in contact with their family in India,” the ministry added.
Besides Ann, there are three other Malayalis on the ship. Second officer P V Dhanesh (32) from Wayanad; second engineer Shyam Nath (31) from Kozhikode; and third engineer S Sumesh (31) from Palakkad are the Malayali crew remaining on the ship.