Pirates hijack Singapore-registered vessel off the coast of Kenya

Pirates hijack Singapore-registered vessel off the coast of Kenya

2010-10-24 11:13:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

SINGAPORE (BNO NEWS) -- Pirates on Saturday hijacked a Singapore-registered vessel and its crew of 17 off the coast of Kenya, officials said on Sunday.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said a distress call from the Singapore-registered Liquefied Petroleum Gas vessel was received at about 8.25 p.m. Singapore time on Saturday. The distress call indicated that pirates had boarded the vessel, called "York".

At that time of the incident, the vessel - which is owned by York Maritime Company Pte Ltd. in Singapore - was reported to be on her way from Mombasa in Kenya to Mahe in Seychelles. A total of 17 crew members are on board.

Currently, pirates are holding nearly 20 ships with a total of nearly 400 hostages, according to the European Union Naval Force Somalia. Most hijackings usually end without casualties when a ransom has been paid. This often takes many months, however.

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