2 FSM barges on maiden voyage from Egypt held in Eritrea for 3 weeks
"It's not easy to get in touch with them, it's a little tricky. But the vessel is located through the tracker," Gasam said.
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Fuel Supply Maldives (FSM), one of the largest distributors of fuel in the Maldives, said on Tuesday that it has been three weeks since two barges were held in Eritrea on its maiden voyage to Maldives from Egypt where they were built.
Mohamed Gasam, managing director of FSM, a subsidiary of the government's main business company, STO, told Atoll Times that Eritrean port authorities seized two barges after they entered the country's port on April 26 without obtaining permission due to bad weather and rough seas.
"[While travelling in the Red Sea], the sea had gotten so rough that some of the crew members were vomiting and their condition deteriorated. One of the barge’s engines also sustained a problem. So, without a better alternative they were forced to venture closer to the shore in that situation," he said.
Gasim said the crew tried to contact the port authorities before entering, but could not establish a connection.
Gasam said the two are out of the four barges that were built as part of a 2019 agreement signed by the FSM with an Egyptian company. Out of the four barges, two were earlier completed and brought to the Maldives.
The two barges held in Eritrea had a crew of:
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Two local captains
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Two local engineers
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The Egyptian sailors
Gasam said the crew is now in good health, but they had to be provided with food on two occasions as their onboard food supplies depleted.
"It's not easy to get in touch with them. It's a little tricky. But the vessel is located through the tracker," he said.
Gasam said that after Eritrea seized the barges, the process of resolving the issue through the foreign ministry was immediately initiated. He added that the ministry is looking into whether a team can be sent to the country.
"The thing is, we don't have close relations with Eritrea. So, we are also working through countries that have close ties to Eritrea," Gasam said.
Apart from FSM barges, a barge that belongs to another Maldivian company has also been seized at the port in Eritrea, Gasam said. However, details of the barge are awaited.
