In Madurai, the family of seafarer Nishanth Uirthanathan is still awaiting the return of his body from Oman, nearly a week after it was brought ashore. The delay in repatriation stems from a documentation error, which incorrectly identified him as Hindu instead of Christian. Nishanth, 35, who served as a second officer on the MT Celestial, passed away while on board. His body was preserved using cold-water bottles before being transferred to a hospital in Oman.
Loyola Antony, the uncle of Nishanth’s wife Saropin, reported that an Indian Embassy official contacted the family on June 18, indicating that the remains could arrive at Thiruvananthapuram airport by Thursday evening. However, the transport was canceled due to the document errors. The family received various documents, including the death certificate and passport cancellation papers, but the autopsy report failed to provide a clear cause of death, only noting a brain clot.
Saropin, who has two young children, is anxious for her family to understand what happened to their father. The family, having only seen media reports about conditions on the vessel, is now waiting for updates from the embassy, which has promised to expedite the process. Officials suggested that the remains might reach India by the weekend or Monday.
Amalraj Rodrigues, a Canada-based volunteer assisting the family, noted that pursuing compensation will be difficult. The Romana Ship Management Company, which employed Nishanth, is unresponsive, and its registered address is unavailable. Furthermore, it is not listed among the companies approved by the Directorate General of Shipping. The family has received conflicting information from third-party callers claiming to represent the company, complicating their efforts to seek assistance.
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