Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, May 22: Around 1,150 Port Blair-bound passengers heaved a sigh of relief as MV Swaraj Dweep stranded in Visakhapatanam due to cyclone Roanu sailed from Visakhapatnam port for Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 11.10 a.m. on Saturday.
The ship was originally scheduled to leave Visakhapatanam on Wednesday. Owing to the inclement weather, the sailing was put off. Andaman and Nicobar Islands operates five passenger vessels from Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Kolkata to Port Blair on regular basis.
On the intervention of Andaman and Nicobar administration, arrangements were made to provide food to the passengers in the city.
A senior official of Visakhapatnam Port Trust said for ‘safe navigation’, the ship management was advised not to sail till the cyclone crossed the coast.
