KARACHI: Nine more Pakistani out of the 17 crew members stranded on a ship in Egypt's Suez Canal for over three months returned home on Friday, Aaj News reported. 

According to the reports, the 17 workers had been stranded abroad for months after the Egyptian government confiscated the vessel for non-payment of dues.

They returned home after intervention by the Pakistani embassy in Egypt. On their arrival at Jinnah International airport, Pakistani sailors expressed their gratitude to the Pakistani Embassy for executing preparations for their repatriation.

Mohammad Jameel, one of the sailors who returned home today, told the media after arriving at Karachi airport, "Nine of us have come back today. One among the nine, has gone to Abu Dhabi, another has gone to Islamabad,"

The sailor said that due to ill health the captain of the ship had been transferred to a hospital and will return to Pakistan after he recovers.