Chinese Diplomats in India Help Trapped Sailors Return Home

A sailor shakes hands with a Chinese diplomat to express gratitude after the Chinese diplomats boarded the sailors' ship in Alang port in India on Wednesday, May 11, 2016. [Photo: Chinese Embassy in India]

Thirteen Chinese sailors who were trapped in their cargo ship in India for almost a year have returned home with the help of Chinese diplomats, according to the Chinese Embassy in India.

The sailors called the embassy for help on April 23, sharing that their cargo ship had been anchored in Alang port for a long time, they had not been rotated home and they had worked on the ship for more than 300 days.

The Chinese Embassy sprang into action and communicated with the ship-owner, sailors and the sailors' company, with the three parties reaching an agreement on the sailors' rotation.

At 3am on May 11, two Chinese diplomats boarded the sailors' ship bringing food and helping the trapped sailors finish their rotation. With the help of the Chinese diplomats the 13 sailors were flown back to Shanghai, arriving at 8.30pm on May 13.

An unnamed Indian official told the Chinese Embassy, he was moved by the action of the Chinese diplomats. Many sailors from different countries get into trouble in Alang, and it's rare to see diplomats help sailors, he said.

Over the past three decades, Alang has become a major worldwide centre for ship breaking, a process where ships are beached at high tide for demolition.