2 Kerala seafarers feared stranded in Iranian waters, families say no contact for weeks

Kalpetta (Wayanad): The families of two Kerala seafarers fear that the youths have been stranded in conflict-hit Iranian waters for nearly a month and have sought urgent intervention from the Centre.

Fadusha Farhan TU (20), son of Shamsudheen, a trader from Mananthavady in Wayanad, and Rahiyanath, has been out of contact since tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz. According to relatives, he has been serving as an intern on the cargo vessel Arucas, owned by Trim Ship Company, and was stationed near Iran when the conflict began.

Contact has also been lost with another Keralite intern working alongside him—Jerin Joseph, a native of Kattappana in Idukki district.

Fadusha’s mother Rahiyanath told the media that the family has been running from pillar to post seeking help from authorities to trace their son. During his last video call on February 27, he had said that the ship was anchored near Tehran and would soon move to Turkey with cargo. However, all attempts to reach him after tensions escalated following the US-Israel attack on Iran have failed, she said. Efforts to contact the shipping company have also proved futile.

Fadusha began his internship in July 2025 and has been aboard the vessel for the past eight months. The family has approached several authorities, including Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi and Minister OR Kelu, seeking help to locate the vessel and obtain information about their son.

The family initially delayed approaching authorities because Fadusha had remained out of contact for nearly 20 days after he first joined the ship last year. But now, there has been no communication for an extended period.

Fadusha and Jerin completed a General Purpose Rating course at an institute in Chennai and joined the internship through a Mumbai-based agency. The families hope to receive information about the vessel and the youths’ whereabouts soon.

Jerin’s father, Joseph Thomas, said that neither the shipping company nor the institute has responded to their calls. “Since the youths are interns, it seems the agencies are not interested in sharing information about their whereabouts or ensuring their speedy return,” he said. “We hope the Union government will take all necessary steps to locate them and bring them home as soon as possible.”

Hundreds of vessels are reportedly stranded in the Persian Gulf after Iran closed Strait of Hormuz on February 28. It is suspected that ships of the two Keralites are also among these vessels which stuck in the waters amid the tensions.