Kerala CM Oommen Chandy seeks Centre's help to bring back nurses from Libya

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has asked the Centre to take urgent steps to secure the release of 18 Malayalee nurses stranded in Libya and also five Indian fishermen, including one from Kerala, held captive in Iran.

In a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, while seeking help for the release of the stranded persons, also handed over the name and passport details of Malayalee nurses stranded in Benghazi and other places in Libya.

In his letter yesterday, Chandy also urged the Centre to bring the nurses to Malta by ship and from there to New Delhi by flight.

It was while fishing in the deep-sea waters off the coast of Qatar that the five Indian fishermen were captured by Iranian forces on September 22, he said.

The stranded in Iran include one from Thiruvananthapuram and four from Tamil Nadu. They are currently held captive in a boat near the Island of Kish and awaiting court order,he said.

Chandy also wanted that the Indian Embassy officials in Iran be instructed to do the needful for meeting the fishermen and free them from captivity and penalisation.