KENYA: Saudi supertanker hijacked by Somali pirates is heading to Eyl, Somalia, the Coordinator of the East African Seafarers' Association

Record ID: 361914

  • Title: KENYA: Saudi supertanker hijacked by Somali pirates is heading to Eyl, Somalia, the Coordinator of the East African Seafarers' Association
  • Date: 19th November 2008
  • Summary: (EU) MOMBASA, KENYA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DOCKED SHIP AT THE KENYAN PORT OF MOMBASA
  • Embargoed: 4th December 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVAA87ZXKM6A4T5SWU4IZQ9M1X99
  • Story Text: A Saudi supertanker seized by pirates with a 100 million US dollars oil cargo in the world's biggest ship hijacking reached Somalia on Tuesday (November 18), and another vessel was captured off the lawless state.
    Coordinator of the East African Seafarers' Association, Andrew Mwangura said Eyl is the only place a large ship can be anchored.

    "According to what we gathered last evening, the empty Sirius Star is expected to anchor off Eyl this morning. But according to sources up front in that region, they say they spotted a huge ship and we think she must be the one. But we are not sure, so we are still waiting to hear from them. And that's the only place they can take her, because in Eyl, eight nautical miles from the shore is where you can anchor a large ship like that one," he said.
    He was referring to a remote coastal village in the semi-autonomous province of Puntland used by pirates who have been seizing ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
    The U.S. navy said pirates had transported the Sirius Star -- taken 450 nautical miles southeast off Kenya at the weekend in the boldest strike to date by Somali pirates -- to Haradheere port half-way up the Horn of Africa nation's long coastline.
    Operator Vela International, shipping arm of state oil giant Saudi Aramco, said the 25-man crew was believed to be safe. They are from Croatia, Britain, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia.
    Increasingly brazen pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean waters off Somalia has driven up insurance costs, forced some ships to go round South Africa instead of through the Suez Canal, and secured millions of dollars in ransoms.
    The capture of the Star is one of the most spectacular strikes in maritime history.
    The seizure was carried out despite an international naval response, including from the NATO alliance and European Union, to protect one of the world's busiest shipping areas.
    U.S, French and Russian warships are also off Somalia.
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