Last week, two passenger ships belonging to Lakshadweep administration — MV Kavaratti and MV Coral — left for Djibouti Port from Kochi. They were recalled on their way to the Lakshadweep islands on a regular cruise. The ships will be used to bring back the evacuated Indians from Yemen. The ships are likely to return in another two weeks’ time.
There are about 150 crew members in both the ships together, with doctors and nurses, too. Approximately 1,200 passengers can be accommodated on the two ships. The Indian Navy has sent two frigates from Mumbai to help in the mission, which would reach ahead of the two passenger ships.
Across Yemen, there are about 3,500 Indians, working in various sectors. Some of them will be evacuated by flights and others by the ships. The Yemeni coast is just 30 km across the Bab-el-Mandeb strait from Djibouti.