Run DNA test on body of Indian sailor found in Philippines to identify him: Sushma Swaraj

As many as 26 Indians were on board the MV Emerald Star, which sank five weeks ago

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has asked the Indian ambassador in the Philippines to initiate steps to exhume the body of an unidentified Indian sailor found with a life jacket worn by the crew of cargo vessel MV Emerald Star, which sank five weeks ago.

Swaraj asked for the body to be exhumed and brought to Manila for identification through DNA testing. (HT File)

As many as 26 Indians were on board the ship when it sunk on October 13.

While 16 were rescued, 10 could not be found, of which one is Virar resident Captain Rajesh Nair. The body of the Indian sailor was found at Banua, in Phillippines, on October 28, following which locals buried it.

The Phillipines coast guard informed Swaraj of the find.“Since the body was decomposed, it was buried there,” Swaraj said. 

She added that she asked for the body to be exhumed and brought to Manila for identification through DNA testing. In a series of tweets, Swaraj added that operations to track the missing Indians were ongoing. “We continued the search on nearby islands,” she said.

Extensive search operations were launched by Japan and the Philippines after the ship capsized. The Indian Navy had also joined them.The ship was carrying minerals from Hong Kong to Indonesia when it sunk. It had reportedly send out distress signals to nearby vessels.

The Japanese coast guard had called off the search on October 16.

(With agency inputs)