Pirates have kidnapped 19 crewmembers from an oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria, a report said on Thursday (December 5th) that piracy is on the rise in the region.
The vessel was attacked on 3 December and 18 Indians and one Turk, crew members, were captured, an official said. Seven other crew members remained aboard the ship. Neither the ship nor the cargo was damaged.
The shipping industry has warned in recent months against the increasing risk for seafarers in the Gulf of Guinea, especially around Nigeria, of kidnappings by pirate gangs.
The Hong Kong-flagged supertanker, capable of carrying up to two million barrels of oil, is operated by the Greek shipping company Navios Tankers Management. "We are doing everything necessary to ensure that the 19 crew members are released unharmed," the Navios official said, adding that their families have been informed.
With AP