TWO commercial vessels carrying 22 Indian nationals were hijacked by pirates in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia, with armed men taking control of both vessels, a senior shipping ministry official said on Friday.
The official said the Indian crew members were safe according to the latest information.
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An Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker, MT Sibu 1, carrying 20 crew members, including 16 Indians, was hijacked by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, around 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen, on August 20.
The vessel also had one Syrian national, one Sudanese national, one Iraqi national and one seafarer whose nationality is yet to be confirmed, the official told PTI.
"As reported by Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) agency - S K S Krishi Marine Services (Opc) Private Limited, six armed pirates are presently onboard the vessel and have taken control of the vessel," he said.
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The RPSL agency has been advised to submit the incident report and subsequent periodic updates through the e-Navik online marine casualty reporting system for examination and record, the official said.
In another incident, a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship, LUTUF, with six Indians among its 10 crew members, was hijacked by pirates off Somalia's Puntland coast on August 17.
"The vessel is reported to have been boarded by eight pirates, armed with AK-47 type weapons and operating from two skiffs," the official said.
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"The crew initially mustered in the citadel. However, the pirates gained access and subsequently brought them to the bridge. The vessel is currently under pirate control. No injuries have been reported thus far," he said.
The two vessels remain under pirate control, while the shipping ministry said the Indian crew members were safe according to the latest information.
Ajay Jain Bhutoriax
