Mirror.co.uk
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The crew of snatched tanker Sirius Star were last night trapped in the clutches of "hell" as the world reacted with outrage to the hijack.
With the 318,000-ton ship moored off the Somalian city of Harard here and believed to be heading for the lawless port of Eyl, fears were growing for the 25 workers on board - which includes two Britons.
The Government demanded the crew's immediate release and RMT union boss Bob Crowe begged for better protection for ships passing through the notorious Gulf of Aden where piracy is rife.
He said: "The scale of the problem is now so big that the Gulf is known among mariners as the gates of hell.
"The ordeal faced by seafarers held to ransom is unimaginable. The growth of piracy is a threat faced by the shipping industry on a global scale and it requires a global response. The immediate task is to get the Sirius Star, and the many other vessels held by pirates, released with crews unharmed."
There are 14 hijacked ships detained in Eyl with around 250 crew held at the port.
The Saudi-owned Sirius Star was carrying £60million of crude oil when hijacked 420 miles off the Kenyan coast in an audacious attack by Somali pirates driven by a lust for riches to fuel their luxurious lifestyles.
Apart from the two Britons - one the ship's chief engineer and the other a second officer - there were also two Poles, one Croatian, 19 Filipinos and one Saudi international on board.
Furious Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud said: "Piracy, like terrorism, is a disease which is against everybody, and everybody must address it together."
Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth added: "We are deeply concerned, not least because two of the crew are British. We call on those holding the crew to release them immediately." The vessel's operator, Dubai-based Vela International Marine Ltd, said the crew were believed to be safe.
President Salah Kaaki, said: "We are working towards their speedy return."
There was no mention of a cash demand, but firms have been known to pay out ransoms of up to £600,000.
It is believed Britain, the US and other naval forces have decided against military intervention for now.