Filipino sailor died in pirate attack off Somalia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Filipino sailor died aboard a Malaysian vessel hijacked last week off the coast of Somalia as negotiations continued on Tuesday to free other crew members.
The seaman died in an accident when pirates boarded the palm-oil tanker Bunga Melati Dua in the Gulf of Aden last Tuesday, Malaysian shipping line MISC Berhad said in a statement. It did not explain what kind of accident resulted in his death.
"We have been able to establish more communication with the crew," the statement said. "All remaining crew members are safe and are taken care of. Negotiations are ongoing to secure the safe release" of the remaining 29 Malaysian and nine Filipino crew members.
A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing negotiations.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted by The Star daily Tuesday as saying the Malaysian government was following the negotiations, "but for now nothing has been achieved." His aide, who declined to be named citing protocol, confirmed the comment.
Pirates hijacked three other vessels in the Gulf of Aden last week — an Iranian bulk carrier with 29 crew, a Japanese-operated chemical tanker with 19 crew, and a German-operated cargo ship with nine crew.
Two other hijacking attempts in the region failed Saturday. A Japanese-operated ship managed to escape from armed pirates in two speedboats, while a Liberian cargo ship was rescued by a multinational naval patrol deployed in the area.
Following the surge in attacks, the US Naval Central Command has said it will establish a permanent Maritime Security Patrol Area in the Gulf of Aden. Coalition navy warships and aircraft will patrol the area under a commander from the Royal Canadian Navy.
Somalia is the world's piracy hotspot. Thirty out of 36 attacks on ships off Somalia's coast have occurred in the Gulf of Aden, a busy waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. AP
The seaman died in an accident when pirates boarded the palm-oil tanker Bunga Melati Dua in the Gulf of Aden last Tuesday, Malaysian shipping line MISC Berhad said in a statement. It did not explain what kind of accident resulted in his death.
"We have been able to establish more communication with the crew," the statement said. "All remaining crew members are safe and are taken care of. Negotiations are ongoing to secure the safe release" of the remaining 29 Malaysian and nine Filipino crew members.
A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing negotiations.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted by The Star daily Tuesday as saying the Malaysian government was following the negotiations, "but for now nothing has been achieved." His aide, who declined to be named citing protocol, confirmed the comment.
Pirates hijacked three other vessels in the Gulf of Aden last week — an Iranian bulk carrier with 29 crew, a Japanese-operated chemical tanker with 19 crew, and a German-operated cargo ship with nine crew.
Two other hijacking attempts in the region failed Saturday. A Japanese-operated ship managed to escape from armed pirates in two speedboats, while a Liberian cargo ship was rescued by a multinational naval patrol deployed in the area.
Following the surge in attacks, the US Naval Central Command has said it will establish a permanent Maritime Security Patrol Area in the Gulf of Aden. Coalition navy warships and aircraft will patrol the area under a commander from the Royal Canadian Navy.
Somalia is the world's piracy hotspot. Thirty out of 36 attacks on ships off Somalia's coast have occurred in the Gulf of Aden, a busy waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. AP
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