UpdateSomali pirates hijack latest chem tanker

28 November 2008 13:30  [Source: ICIS news]

(adds ship name and detail in paragraph 4)

LONDON (ICIS news)--Somali pirates hijacked the Biscaglia, a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker, on Friday in the Gulf of Aden, an official with the Seafarers Assistance Programme (SAP) said.

“There is no confirmation at this time of where the vessel was heading or of what cargo it was carrying,” the SAP’s Andrew Mwangura said.

The tanker was understood to have a crew of around 30 made up of British, Indonesians and Indians

According to media reports, some of the crew evaded the hijackers by jumping overboard and being rescued by a German naval force helicopter, part of the NATO warship patrols of the region.  

Despite the presence of NATO patrols and the EU announcing a rotating protection system for vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden, attacks have increased in the region

Somali hijackers are still holding the Sirius Star supertanker, which was fully loaded with about 2m bbl of Saudi Arabia crude when the crew were taken hostage, although a Greek-owned chemical tanker that was seized in September was released last week.

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By: Dan Horlock
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