Pirates hold hostage some crew members of oil tanker off West Africa

Six members of the 16-man crew on a Liberia-flagged tanker are being held hostage by pirates who boarded the ship in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea final week, the Danish shipper that owns the vessel and the French Navy mentioned Friday.

Pirates boarded the Monjasa Reformer southwest of Port Pointe-Noire, Congo, on March 25 and 5 days later, the French Navy that was patrolling the world, discovered the ship off the small island nation of Sao Tomé and Principe north of the place it had been attacked.

In a press release, firm spokesman Thorstein Andreasen mentioned that “the pirates had deserted the vessel and introduced part of the crew members with them.” It didn’t say what number of had been kidnapped or how they had been taken.

After the pirates had boarded the tanker, the crew sought refuge in a citadel — a secure space on the ship — consistent with the onboard anti-piracy emergency protocol. Nevertheless, the pirates someway managed to take a few of them hostage. The nationalities of the crew members has not been introduced, nor had been particulars given as to the place they’re being held.

The pirates later left the Monjasa Reformer, and a French Navy vessel, Premier Maître L’Her, acquired a message from the remaining crew that six individuals had been kidnapped. The French vessel rushed to scene and handled three individuals for minor accidents.

PIRATES ATTACK SHIP AND HOLD CREW MEMBERS HOSTAGE OFF OF WEST AFRICA

The corporate spokesman mentioned the crew members not taken hostage “are all in good well being and safely situated in a safe surroundings and receiving correct consideration following these dreadful occasions.”

No injury to the ship or its cargo has been reported, mentioned Andreasen. He didn’t give additional particulars.

After assault, the Monjasa Reformer was escorted towards Lome, the capital of Togo, by a Nigerian ship, based on the French Navy.

The Gulf of Guinea is without doubt one of the world’s most harmful spot for assaults on ships. In June, the United Nations Safety Council unanimously adopted a decision strongly condemning piracy, armed theft and hostage-taking within the space. This hijacking occurred additional south in an space that’s not usually attacked by pirates.

The Monjasa Reformer is utilized in West Africa as a part of Monjasa’s world marine fuels operations and was carrying marine gasoline oil, very low sulphur gas oil and excessive sulphur gas oil merchandise on board, the shipper mentioned.