At least one sailor from Kerala is confirmed to be on the Stena Impero, the British-flagged oil tanker seized by Iran on Friday with 18 Indian crew members on board. Kochi police’s special branch told The Telegraph that the sailor was Dijo Pappachan, 26, from Kalamassery in Kochi. Pappachan told this newspaper that the shipping company had informed him about the incident the day the ship was seized. “After joining this ship he told me the captain was from Fort Kochi and that another sailor was from Thripunithura (both in Ernakulam district). Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to foreign minister S. Jaishankar to ensure the safety of the sailors on the oil tanker.

Source: The Telegraph July 21, 2019 21:26 UTC