Kerala Government has asked the Centre to take urgent steps to secure the release of 18 Malayalee nurses stranded in Libya and also five Indian fishermen, including one from Kerala, held captive in Iran.

In a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, while seeking help for the release of the stranded persons, also handed over the name and passport details of Malayalee nurses stranded in Benghazi and other places in Libya.