The body of Bejoy Sequeira, 37, who died from COVID-19 aboard Indian vessel MV Jabal Al Khawr on September 17, is still being kept at Dr Jeetoo Hospital in Port Louis.
The vessel was travelling from Malaysia to Cape Town when Sequeira died after suffering from fever and cough for several days.
The ship was diverted to Mauritius, the captain tested positive for COVID-19.
The captain and crew are said to be currently quarantining and undergoing periodical tests on the island, the Indian High Commission in Mauritius was quoted as telling the New Delhi-based ThePrint newspaper.
From 17 to 30 September, the body of Sequeira, a chief cook aboard the ship, was kept in a freezer-turned-mortuary aboard the ship, according to the High Commission.
On 30 September, the body was reportedly handed over to the Mauritian Police for inquiry and post-mortem.
Sequeira’s body is currently being kept at Dr Jeetoo Hospital in Port Louis.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission, Mauritian authorities and the Indian shipping ministry are said to be currently working to repatriate the body.
However, it is said the process may take another two weeks. “They [Mauritian authorities] cannot send the body back without conducting a post-mortem. Since the body was found to be COVID positive, I have been informed that they will now wait 14 days and only after that conduct a post-mortem,” Amitabh Kumar of India’s Directorate General of Shipping was quoted as saying.
Sequeira had two daughters, aged 4 and 5.
Original article at The Print
