Crew onboard a tanker that ran aground in Umm Al Quwain are hoping that, after three-and-a-half years at sea, they will at last be able to go home, reports the National News.
Crew in financial crisis
Five merchant sailors onboard MT Iba have spent 43 months at sea – and 32 months without pay – after the tanker’s owner, Alco Shipping Services, fell into a financial crisis.
Vessel tow planned
On Sunday, Maj Gen Sheikh Rashid Al Mualla, Chief of UAQ Police and head of the local emergency team, chaired a meeting to resolve the problem.
An Alco Shipping Services representative said the company would tow the vessel from the site when the weather conditions were right.
Grounding due to strong winds
The company has searched for a buyer for the tanker so it can pay substantial debts to port authorities. Those negotiations were largely sidelined by the pandemic.
The tanker became grounded after strong winds pushed it to the shallow waters of Umm Al Quwain’s public beach early on Friday morning.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: The National News
