Thursday, November 05, 2009
Regional maritime official said Delvina was heading for the Kenyan port city of Mombasa from Mediterranean when it was captured 250 miles northwest of Madagascar.
"I am still not sure whether Delvina was hijacked or attacked by the pirates. The vessel was sailing to Mombasa when it was seized or attacked by pirates, about 250 miles northwest of Madagascar," Andrew Mwangura, the coordinator of Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) told Xinhua by telephone.
"The ship had Ukrainian and Filipinos on aboard but I have not established the correct number of crew members," Mwangura said.
The maritime official said Delvina was the third Greek to have been seized by the pirates this year.
Somali pirates have seized dozens of ships over the last two years, taking in tens of millions of dollars in ransom money. The pirates are believed to be holding seven ships in all.
The Somali pirates who come from specific regions and clans, far away from the war-ravaged capital have thwarted efforts by the coalition of warships patrolling the world's most dangerous waters to end the menace.
An estimated 25,000 ships annually cruise the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia's northern coast. Over 10 ships and 200 crew members are still held by Somali pirates.
The Gulf of Aden, off the northern coast of Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world. About 25,000 ships use the channel south of Yemen, between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
Source: Xinhua, Nov 05, 2009