Italian cargo ship with seven Indians hijacked

December 27, 2011 | Defence / Terrorism | Written by

Mumbai, Dec 27: An Italian cargo ship with 18 crew members, including seven Indians, was hijacked by Somali pirates early Tuesday, a maritime official here said.

The ship, MT Enrico Ievoli was on a voyage from Iran to Yumurtalik, Turkey, with 15,000 tonnes of caustic soda, an official at the directorate general of shipping said.

The ship was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates around 4 a.m. IST Tuesday and is now bound for the Somali coast, the official said.

There are no immediate reports of any physical harm to the crew members, the official said, quoting the ship’s captain and its owners.

With this, 43 Indian crew members of merchant ships are in the custody of Somali pirates, the official added.

IANS