“The vessel has been released by Somali pirates and all crew are safe and healthy,” the Directorate General of Shipping said in a release.

The Indian crew released are Jeevan Kiran D’Souza of Kasargod in Kerala, Akbar Ali Rafeeque Juwale of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra and Anthony Clive Themudo of Goa.

The ship, MV Iran Deyanat, carrying 40,000 tonnes of iron ore en route from China to Netherlands, was hijacked on the Red Sea by Somali pirates on August 22. Besides Indians, the ship had Iranians and Croatians. The pirates with weapons had come in speed boats and seized the ship. India had sought the assistance of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in the matter.

It was not immediately clear if any ransom had been paid for the release of the crew members and the ship.

The merchant vessel was headed from China for the Netherlands, carrying minerals and industrial products when it was hijacked on August 22 along with a German and a Japanese ship off the Gulf of Aden.

Jeevan Kiran D’Souza (28), one of the three Indians, rang up his residence near the border town of Uppala, about 20 km from here, at 1.30 pm and said all the crew members were set free and would be back home within a week, Jeevan’s father Ligouri D’Souza told PTI.

“My son has informed that he would call his family after crossing 100 nautical miles and we are expecting his call any time,” a relieved D’Souza said.

“For almost a week, my son had suffered agony mid-sea due to lack of proper medical treatment.”