New Delhi, Aug 21:
Two commercial vessels carrying 22 Indian nationals have been hijacked in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia, raising fresh concerns over piracy in waters around the Horn of Africa.
The Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker M.T. Sibu 1 was seized by six armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, around 30 nautical miles from the Yemeni coast. The vessel had 20 crew members on board, including 16 Indians.
According to a report prepared by the Directorate of Maritime Administration, all 20 crew members were safe. However, the latest information on the vessel and its crew was still awaited. The crew also included one Syrian, one Sudanese and one Iraqi national, while the nationality of one seafarer remained unconfirmed.
The Recruitment and Placement Service Licence agency has been asked to file an incident report and provide regular updates through the e-Navik online marine casualty reporting system.