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Russian sailors in trouble at Philippine port to return home

The bulk carrier has been staying at the port Rio Tuba since March 18. It was detained over the expiry of the documents, which are required for the navigation

VLADIVOSTOK, April 16 (Itar-Tass) – The Russian sailors, who have been in trouble at the Philippine port Rio Tuba for a month, are to fly from Manila to Vladivostok via Beijing on Tuesday. Thanks to the aid of the Russian Embassy in the Philippines all issues for the delivery of Russian citizens were settled quickly, Deputy Governor of the Primorsky Territory Alexander Los, who is staying at the Philippine capital to help the Russian sailors, said on Tuesday.

The bulk carrier SS Veles, flying the colours of a small island state Tuvalu in Polynesia, was carrying 12 Russian Far Eastern residents, eight Indians and one Ukrainian citizen. The bulk carrier has been staying at the port Rio Tuba since March 18. It was detained over the expiry of the documents, which are required for the navigation.

The captain reported that the vessel was short of water and food. Meanwhile, the crew was not paid the salary for five months. According to the latest reports, the Nerei shipping company, which owned the ship, went bankrupt. A part of its fleet was arrested for the debts.

The relatives of the sailors asked Governor of the Primorsky Territory Vladimir Miklushevsky to settle the problems of the SS Veles crew. The problem of the comeback of the Primorsky sailors to the homeland was solved for less than a week.

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