The Danish oil tanker, seized by pirates within the Gulf of Guinea, has been positioned after a frantic search, with a portion of the crew having been kidnapped, Monjasa, the ship’s proprietor, introduced Friday.
The Monjasa Reformer, which had 16 crew on board when it was boarded by pirates on March 25, was discovered on Thursday by the French navy off the coast of Sao Tome and Principe.
When the vessel was positioned, “the pirates had abandoned the vessel and brought a part of the crew members with them,” Monjasa stated in a press release.
“The rescued crew members are all in good health and safely located in a secure environment and receiving proper attention following these dreadful events,” it stated.
No particulars had been supplied on the variety of crew kidnapped or their nationalities.
“Our thoughts are with the crew members still missing and their families during this stressful period,” Monjasa stated, including that it was “working closely with the local authorities” to acquire the sailor’s secure return.
The proprietor stated there was no reported harm to the vessel or cargo.
The 135-meter-long Monjasa Reformer “experienced an emergency” on March 25 round 160 miles (260 kilometers) west of Port Pointe-Noire within the Republic of Congo, Monjasa stated.
The shipowner added that the crew had sought refuge within the tanker’s safe room or “citadel” when the pirates boarded, “in accordance with the onboard anti-piracy emergency protocol”.
The vessel was “sitting idle” on the time of the incident.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
