Update, 29 October 2026: A senior Indian government official told the news agency PTI that all six Indian seafarers on the Kever are safe. The official said the ship is alongside at berth 21, West Wharf, in Karachi port.
The official said the crewing agency has asked for permission for six relief seafarers to join the ship. The six are ready and are already waiting in a hotel in Pakistan. They can board once the port authorities give clearance. The official said the case is being watched closely, and letters were sent to the Indian High Commission in Pakistan and other offices.
The official did not say when the crew will go home or when the unpaid wages will be paid. The ILO database still shows both as pending.
Twelve seafarers are stuck on board the general cargo ship Kever in the port of Karachi, Pakistan. Six are from India and six are from Iran. The ship has been in Karachi since April 2026.
The case is in the joint ILO and IMO database of abandoned seafarers. The ILO is the International Labour Organization, the UN agency for work. The database says the crew have not been paid for six months. Their trip home and their wages are both still pending.
What the official record says
The ITF reported the case. The ITF is the International Transport Workers' Federation, a global union for transport workers. The record gives 1 May 2026 as the date of abandonment. The ILO received the report on 9 September 2026.
The ship's IMO number is 9088653. The ship was sending a Botswana flag on its tracking signal from 8 April 2026. But Botswana does not have a ship register, so the record calls it a false flag. Before 1 April 2026, the IMO database listed the ship under the flag of Comoros.
The ship has insurance for abandoned crews from Vanguard, valid from 26 March 2026 to 26 March 2027. On 9 September, the record said the seafarers had not yet asked the insurer to pay.
On 29 September, the ITF wrote that the ship is at berth 21 in Karachi. It said it had spoken to the crew and to the owner. The owner told the ITF he is trying to get the ship released from detention. He said the port authorities are not helping him. Three new crew members are ready to replace some of the crew, but the port does not let them join the ship, according to the ITF. The IMO sent an urgent request for help to Pakistan on the same day.
What the families say
Family members of the Indian crew spoke to Indian media on 29 October 2026, including NDTV and Aaj Tak. These are the families' statements. They have not been confirmed by officials.
The wife of the chief officer said he joined the ship on 25 February 2026 on a six-month contract. She said his contract and his visa ended in August. He has not been signed off and is not allowed to leave the ship.
The family said the ship was held soon after it arrived in Karachi on 17 April. They said this was because of a dispute between an Iranian company and the port authorities. They also said the power on the ship was cut off and the crew's passports were taken.
The families said there has been no power on board for about three months. They spoke of short supplies of food and water. They said they can talk to the crew only once every 15 to 20 days, for a minute or two.
The families said they visited the Prime Minister's office, the President's office and the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi. They also asked the Indian Embassy in Pakistan for help. Later on 29 October, a senior Indian government official replied through the news agency PTI. See the update at the top of this story.
What crews should know about abandonment
Under the MLC, the Maritime Labour Convention, a crew is abandoned when the owner stops paying wages for two months or more. It also counts when the owner does not pay for the trip home, or stops giving food, water, fuel and medical care.
Every ship under the MLC must have insurance for this case. It pays up to four months of unpaid wages and other money owed under the contract. It also pays for the trip home, and for food, water and medical care until you get home. The seafarers can ask the insurer directly.
Before you join a ship, check its flag and IMO number in the IMO GISIS database or with your union. A false flag is a serious warning sign.
Ask the master for the insurance certificate for abandonment. Every MLC ship must show it on board. Write down the insurer's name and contact details.
Keep copies of your contract, pay slips, passport and seaman's book on your phone and on paper.
Write down the date when wages stopped, and every promise the owner or manager makes.
Contact the ITF or your union early. You can check known cases on the ITF abandonment list and read the ILO guidelines on abandonment.
Cover photo: The harbour of Karachi, Pakistan, with port cranes and ships in the distance, September 2016. Illustrative photo. Photo: Nawazahmed12/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: ILO/IMO database on abandonment of seafarers: Kever, case 01837, NDTV, 29 Oct 2026: 1 Ship, 6 Indians, 6 Months: Long Wait For Seafarers Stranded At Karachi Port, Aaj Tak, 29 Oct 2026: six Indians stuck on a ship at Karachi port for seven months (in Hindi), ILO: Guidelines on how to deal with seafarer abandonment cases, ITF Seafarers: abandonment list, PTI via Deccan Chronicle, 29 Oct 2026: Six Indian seafarers stranded at Karachi port are safe, government confirms.
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