Sailor from Uttarakhand goes missing from merchant ship en route to China from Iraq; family seeks help

A 22-year-old merchant navy cadet from Dehradun has gone missing off the Sri Lankan coast while serving onboard an oil tanker, his family said on Saturday.

Deck cadet Karandeep Singh Rana went missing on September 20 when the vessel was en route to China from Iraq via Sri Lanka, said Narendra Singh Rana, Karandeep’s father.

The family has since then appealed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Centre for help in finding Karandeep.

Narendra told PTI that Karandeep left Dehradun for Singapore on August 18, from where he boarded an oil tanker bound for Iraq. From Iraq, they began their sail to China via Sri Lanka, Narendra said.

“At around 9.30 pm (on September 20), the Mumbai office of the Executive Ship Management (ESM) company informed them that Karandeep had gone missing from the ship and was not found despite extensive searches. We were shocked to hear this because we had spoken to him that afternoon and he was perfectly fine.” He said that after repeated inquiries, the company officials only stated that Karandeep had gone to the deck alone and had been missing since then.

Narendra stated that since receiving information about his son’s disappearance, the family has been pleading for help.

He said that the family has appealed for help on the Chief Minister’s portal, to state government officials and even to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Narendra said that he also met Chief Minister Dhami on Saturday and requested his assistance in locating Karandeep. He also said Karandeep had always wanted to join the Merchant Navy, and he was due to become a Third Officer.