Dhaka, May 1 -- Fifteen Bangladeshi sailors of the ill-fated vessel MV Seaload Ark, which sank off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, returned home on Thursday after 82 days.

The sailors arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at noon on Thursday on an IndiGo Airlines flight, appearing emotional upon their return, UNB reports.

The ship, carrying containers bound for Bangladesh, sank on February 7 while en route from Port Klang, Malaysia, to Chattogram port. It was scheduled to reach Chattogram on February 12.

Officials said the vessel went down about four nautical miles off the Phuket coast, after which the Thai navy rescued all crew members. However, legal complications delayed their repatriation for weeks.

The return ...