Eleven Indian crew members from the ill-fated Maystar cargo vessel will be flying home in the coming days but their five Bangladeshi fellow mariners remain at Haywharf until the authorities decide their fate.

On Monday evening, the crew was brought ashore by the Armed Forces of Malta after the Cambodian-registered Maystar developed a fault in its ballast tanks that control stability. This caused the ship to list heavily to starboard and everybody abandoned ship 26 miles off Delimara.

Once the crew landed, India's Consul to Malta, Yohan Cuschieri intervened to ensure the Indian nationals were safely returned to their homeland. After spending the night at a Valletta hotel, with the help of the Indian government, the 11 crew members will have their flights to India paid for. The first group leaves this afternoon.

However, the Bangladeshis remain in the dark, although Mr Cuschieri has asked the Indian Embassy in Tripoli to contact the Bangladesh Embassy there to fund their flights. He was still awaiting a reply yesterday.

The Bangladeshis remain at the AFM's Maritime Squadron base in Haywharf. The Times tried to contact the Bangladeshi Consul to Malta, Marcello Basile-Cherubino, but was told he is abroad.

Mr Cuschieri explained that the Maystar and its crew did not have a local agent to take responsibility for them. He said that, until Friday, SMS Shipping should have been Maystar's agent but something had gone wrong and the company was no longer representing the vessel and its crew.

When contacted, a spokesman for SMS Shipping was abrupt and would only say it was the ship's bunkering agent but when the vessel failed to turn up by Thursday or Friday, as expected, the company released the job.

As consulates and embassies yesterday worked to try to ensure that all crew members were safely returned home, a Maltese tug boat, Ramla Bay, towed the Maystar to Malta.

A Malta Maritime Authority spokesman said that by yesterday evening the vessel had been towed to 13 nautical miles north-east off Grand Harbour. He was not in a position to say at what time it would enter Malta.

"No request to enter the Maltese territorial waters has been made yet. Entry into port is subject to the final assessment of the vessel's condition. The salvage team is currently assessing the vessel and shall report back to the authority," he said.

Meanwhile, the crew was trying to come to terms with what happened.

One of the sailors was barely a month into his first experience at sea. While shaken by the experience, Abhay Tripathi, the youngest crew member aboard the Maystar, was determined to go back to the sea.

"I want to be a captain," he said, as he pointed out the ironic outcome of his first experience at sea. Thankfully, he added, all his fellow crew members were safely escorted ashore after they left their ship for a life raft.

With a sad smile in his eyes, the young mariner recalled how in the few minutes he had to grab his belongings, before abandoning ship, he only managed to salvage his documents.

"My favourite sweater... that my mother made... I left behind," he said in broken English as he clutched a black folder on his laps.

His captain, Indian Jaidyal Singh Pal, 52, was quick to add that he was grateful all 16 crew members were safe, especially thanks to the AFM that picked up his distress signal and salvaged the crew.

Mr Pal, a captain since 2007, was only appointed captain of the Maystar - a bulk carrier carrying a shipment of wood - a month ago.

"My main worry was to make sure all my crew was safe. I am happy we are all ok now," he said.