Andaman-bound ship passengers return to city

VISAKHAPATNAM: Passengers on board Andaman-bound ship MV Harshavardhana safely reached the port city at midnight on Wednesday after being stranded in the sea for almost 30 hours due to a technical snag in the vessel caused by the breakdown of two of its four generators.
Shipping agent AV Bhanoji Rao Garuda Pattabhi Ramaiah (AVBGPR) Company reimbursed the fare amount to all passengers on Thursday and informed them that a later date of sailing would be finalised soon.
The technical staff attending the ship for repairs have reportedly said that it would take some time to sort out the problem.
Chaos broke at the port gate when relatives and friends of passengers gathered at the main gate were refused entry into the area by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Relatives of Ravi, an officer in Military Engineering Service, who fell sick on the ship, were also denied permission.
The ship had five category fares for islanders (who settled in Andamas) and non-islanders (tourists). The minimum fare for the tourist is Rs 2,500 while it is Rs 950 for the islanders. The maximum fare is Rs 9,500 for non-islanders and Rs 5,040 in the luxury class. Apart from the luxury class there are three other classes of fares for the passengers.