23 stranded in cruisereturn to native places

Twenty-three persons, who were working in a cruise ship and had remained stranded in Mumbai due to the lockdown, returned to their native places on Friday.

They arrived from Mumbai to Hejamady check post in a bus, where they underwent a health check-up before entering DK border.

The cruise with 1,600 passengers had left Singapore on March 14 and had reached Chennai on March 23. However, the port authorities did not allow the cruise to enter when it was 14 miles away from the port.

Later, the cruise authorities had contacted Kochi, Mangaluru and Mumbai ports to allow them to dock. It was only on April 23 that the cruise was allowed to enter the Mumbai port. All the 145 staff from the cruise had remained in a hotel in Mumbai.

Of the 23 people who arrived in a bus, two hail from Mangaluru, one from Mysuru, nine from Kerala, eight from Tamil Nadu, one from Dandeli and two from Mumbai and the remaining are from North India. After undergoing the test, 23 people were sent to their native places in a bus from Mumbai on Thursday.

Cruise front office supervisor Hariprasad Rao of Kodikal said, "We spent 34 days in cruise. After reaching Mumbai, we were quarantined. There was fear among our family members when we were in the cruise. I will not venture out until I complete my home quarantine period after reaching my native place. I have already informed about my arrival to the Kadri police.”