Kerala couple waiting for safe return of son from cargo ship seized by Iran

An elderly couple in this northern Kerala district is facing anxious moments thinking about the safety of their son onboard a seized Israel linked cargo ship in the gulf region and praying for his return.

An elderly couple in this northern Kerala district is facing anxious moments thinking about the safety of their son onboard a seized Israel linked cargo ship in the gulf region and praying for his return.

Shyamnath, their son, was among the 17 Indians onboard an Israeli-linked cargo ship MSC Aries seized by the Iranian military near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13.

Shyamnath's parents Vishwanathan and Shyamala, who are yet to come to terms with the news, sai that they talked to him on Saturday also.

Later in the day, they received a call from the shipping company's Mumbai office informing them about the shocking development.

"We are going through tough times...we have great concerns about the safety of our son. The company authorities said they could not contact the ship crew after the seizure," Mr. Vishwanathan told media.

Hailing from Velliparamba in this northern district, Shyamnath has been working as a second engineer in 'MSC Aries' for the last 10 years.

He last visited the hometown in September last year, his parents said.