State-owned Vietnamese general cargo Bien Nam is abandoned by owner and manager, vessel staying in outer roard Chennai for already 6 months. 18 crew is asking for assistance.
Bien Nam IMO 9520314, dwt 4374, built 2008, flag Vietnam, manager Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Bank, owner Vietnam Government. State-owned Vietnamese general cargo Bien Nam is abandoned by owner and manager, vessel staying in outer roard Chennai for already 6 months. 18 crew is asking for assistance, vessel ran out of water and supplies, agent stopped supplying vessel, because owner doesn’t pay him. Vietnamese Embassy is trying to solve the problem. "We don't have anything to eat... About 85% of what we have are damaged... Concerned agent has stopped supply. Please save us sir..." reads a message from the "Bien Nam" stranded outside the Chennai port for nearly six months with 18 sailors on board. On Feb 14, 2011, t has been more than 10 days since they ran out of drinking water. The vessel has no power and the main engine is completely damaged. The oily-water separator is broken and the generators unoperable. The owner of the vessel is bankrupt. Based on an agreement with the owner, the vessel's agents in the city had been supplying food and other provisions for the last couple of months. They stopped supply last week when payments from the owner stopped. Port officials and shipping officials concerned made it clear they could not help the sailors even under humanitarian grounds as there were no legal provisions. The Vietnamese Embassy in New Delhi is aware of the situation and is trying to contact the vessel owner to settle the case.
