VietNamNet Bridge - Nearly two months trapped in the port of Kolkata, India, the crew of Cai Lan 4 ship sent a letter home to ask for help, but Vinashinlines leaders could not help and told them to wait.

Cai Lan 4, one of the 16 ships of Vinashinlines that are “trapped” at home and abroad.

In the letter that was sent to Vietnam on December 25, 22 crew members of the Cai Lan 4 vessel of the one-member Vinashin Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd. (Vinashinlines) said the ship was detained by the Indian court in late October 2012, when it landed at the port of Kolkata for goods delivery.

The reason for the arrest is that Vinashinlines owes an oil supplier in Singapore and has not payed yet.

The crew said they had repeatedly contacted with the company in Vietnam to ask for their help but they have not received any support.

After two months of being arrested, the crew now faces many difficulties because they are out of food, fresh water and diesel oil. Sailors currently live with instant noodles and wild vegetables. Many people are sick and lose weight. On December 25, 22 sailors had to contact the Vietnamese Embassy in India to ask for help.

Cai Lan Tau 4 is not the only ship of Vinashinlines being stranded abroad. In recent months, a series of letters asking for help of Vietnamese sailors were sent home from all over the world, such as the Hoa Sen, New Phoenix, Sea Eagle from China and Diamond Way from the UAE.

In the letters, all of the crews said that they are in a state of arrest or running out of money and fuel and did not get any assistance from Vinashinlines.
 
A Vinashinlines official said the company could not do anything though it knew about the arrest of Cai Lan 4 ship in India and clearly understands the condition of the ship and the crew.

"But now the company is exhausted. We have already reported to the Government and we can only wait," he said.

According to this official, Vinashinlines has a total of 16 ships that are stuck at home and abroad. The most difficult case is the New Phoenix that is trapped in Dalian, China, where the outdoor temperature is minus 15 degrees Celsius.

The crew has to collect firewood for heating and cooking and has to sip diluted soup. For each vessel with 10 to 20 crew members, there are hundreds of people on these ships, in a state of hunger.

The official also confirmed the information that the Government has promised to grant VND200 billion ($10 million) to pull these ships back home. "This is such a notice. The detail plan is not clear," the official said.

Under the plan of Vinashinlines, the firm will sell the vessels on the spot because it is more costly to take them back to Vietnam. The cost to maintain the 16 ships is VND10 billion ($500,000) per month.

Vinashinlines also has problems in paying salary to its workers.

VNE