&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Indian seafarers worst affected as global ship abandonment hits record high")
Four Indian sailors stranded for 10 months on an abandoned container ship off Turkey coast have finally been rescued. It was confirmed by an inspector from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) to news agency AFP. ITF data reveals that 2025 was the worst year on record for this problem, impacting 6,233 seafarers across 410 ships, with Indian nationals being the most heavily affected group. Turkey recorded the highest number of abandonments last year, accounting for 61 cases. The crew of the said ship, which was a Mongolia-flagged vessel named AZRA C, had been trapped since August 2025.
The vessel was moored in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul. The situation for the crew flipped after the ship's alleged owners were arrested in January 2026 in connection with a massive international drugs bust. Currently, there are 15 foreign-flagged vessels classified as abandoned at anchor within the Sea of Marmara, a critical waterway located between the Bosphorus Strait and the Dardanelles Strait.
Selahattin Polat, the Turkish representative for the ITF, confirmed that the crew's hardships had ended. Last week, the sailors had expressed their distress via an intermediary. During their ordeal, the ITF and the Marine Employees' Solidarity Association (DAD-DER) supported them by supplying necessities and fresh drinking water. "The hardship experienced by the crew has come to an end," Polat, Turkey representative of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), told news agency AFP.
While international maritime law dictates that a ship must maintain a sufficient crew at all times to handle emergencies regardless of whether it is in port or at anchor, Polat explained that no replacements arrived. Consequently, the vessel was left unmanned, and its security will now be managed through alternative means while legal proceedings regarding the abandoned ship continue. This incident highlights a growing, "systemic" issue of vessel abandonment within the maritime industry.
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