Inputs by Subhro Maitra Shreyas & Saurabh Sinha

NEW DELHI: Japan is likely to deploy its army to Diamond Princess, a luxury cruise liner that has remained quarantined near Yokohama port for several days and is now the largest known cluster of coronavirus infection outside China, crew members told TOI on Saturday.A total of 138 Indians — 132 staff and six passengers — are among the 3,700 passengers on board the ship which was quarantined after a man who had disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.With two more on board testing positive, the number of confirmed cases has climbed to 63, but none of them are Indians. The army was either being called to “manage” things on the Diamond Princess or for evacuation, a staffer said.The army was either being called to “manage” things on the Diamond Princess or for evacuation, a staffer said, adding, “The army is probably being called to manage things and to ensure safety protocols are followed.” He spoke on the condition of anonymity.The news came even as yet another Indian on board the ship appealed for help on Saturday. A 26-year-old employed as a steward on the ship made a desperate call to his family in Karwar ( Karnataka ), urging them to seek help from the government. “I’m scared as people are being quarantined. Please contact government officials to help us evacuate the ship,” he said in a video call to his father. Carnival Corporation & plc, the company which owns the ship, has assured his parents there was no need to panic and the Indian embassy also emailed a statement to them that it was in constant touch with local Japanese authorities. A majority of Indian crew members on the ship are from Mumbai, Kerala and Goa.On Thursday, another crew member, Binay Kumar Sarkar’s call for help on Facebook had gone viral. He told TOI that it’s all hands on deck now. “We’re all chipping in — in the kitchen, with supplies, cleaning. Then there are always people who have specific requests about their food. We try and do as much as possible,” he said. Sarkar added that "speaking out of turn" may not have been prudent. “By talking about our fears, I broke protocol. But this is about the safety of so many people. I don’t know what will happen when I leave this ship, but I had to say something,” he said. Till Friday, he was a chef. As of Saturday, he is a phone operator.But back home in Kolkata, his appeal led to a flurry of activity. West Bengal minister of state for labour, Golam Rabbani, sent a team to his house in North Dinajpur to gather details. His elder brother Shyamal said that their mother was spending sleepless nights. “The longer he is on the ship, the higher his chances of catching the infection. We are worried," he told TOI.While there is a definite end in sight — February 19 — when the quarantine period ends and they can disembark, people on board are worried. “This quarantine protocol, by putting potential carriers together, is what is worrying me. Why should we be on the ship when we know it is an infected zone?” said an Indian chef who hails from Jammu. “Japan has all the resources. Why has it docked us here?”For those on board, waiting is the only option. “No one is allowed to step out. Two days ago, people were allowed to come out for fresh air and stand a metre apart from each other. But that’s about it,” said Sarkar. Anyone with a temperature higher than 37.5°C has to be “taken away”. Medicines and masks are in good supply though."Water and food is now free of cost, as is the internet. Though usually the internet is the most expensive thing on the cruise”, a crew member said.