Dubai: Two Indian sailors, who have been stranded without payment for over 15 months in the UAE waters, were rescued by the authorities after their vessel’s anchor broke during bad weather on Wednesday.

Xavier Robinson Fernando and Chintu Dilleswara Rao were on board MV Abdallah, which was anchored off the coast of Sharjah, the Indian Consulate in Dubai said on Thursday.

Consul-General of India in Dubai Vipul told Gulf News that their vessel’s anchor broke and it started drifting on Wednesday afternoon.

“We sought the help of the FTA (Federal Transport Authority) which in turn alerted the UAE Coast Guard and Dubai Police. They rescued the ship and brought it to Port Rashid in Dubai,” he said, thanking the UAE authorities for helping the crew.

Vipul said the FTA had already started legal procedures against the company owning MV Abdallah and seven other vessels. “There are 40 seafarers including 31 Indians who have been stranded on these vessels (without pay or paperwork to come ashore). We have been supplying provisions to them as per their request since last August.”