Ask embassy in Iran to help Indian fishermen, says TN CM

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Friday requested External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar to direct the Indian Embassy in Iran to provide support to Indian fishermen stranded there in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter to Jaishankar, the text of which was released to the media here, Palaniswami said there are about 450 Indian fishermen including 300 from Tamil Nadu who are working in various fishing vesels berthed and operating from various Iranian ports.

"These fishermen are reportedly stranded in Port Kish, Cheeru and other places in Iran, due to the cancellation of flights, because of the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran. The fishermen are requesting to evacuate them from Iran immediately," he said.

Palaniswami requested Jaishankar to direct the the Embassy to provide the required support to the fishermen and also to make arrangements for their safe and immediate return to India.

The family of the fishermen here are deeply concerned.

"My husband (Joseph Lean Anthony) had called me this morning and said the employer has asked him and others to leave. However, there are no flights from their place and they are not able to come back. We are very much worried," Ani told IANS over phone from Kanyakumari district on Thursday.

"My husband said there about 600 fishermen from Tamil Nadu who are not able to come back to India," she added.

"The flights are cancelled. We are all worried... They don't have the masks," Viji, wife of Beltes who is also in Iran, told IANS over phone in a choked voice.

Fishermen association, Neithal Ezhuchi Peravai's President John Leonard told IANS on Thursday that there are about 600 Indian fishermen there wanting to come back.

"The flights out of their place are cancelled and they are not able to return at the earliest," he had said.IANS