Regional maritime officials said Wednesday that armed pirates have seized a Malaysian tanker carrying palm oil and more than 20 crew members in the Gulf of Eden off the coast of Somalia.
Andrew Mwangura of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program said the Malaysian-flagged chemical tanker, MT Bunga Melati Dua, is thought to have a mostly Malaysian and Filipino crew.
"Reports we have received indicates the Malaysian tanker was hijacked on Tuesday," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone.
The Malaysian tanker was carrying palm oil from Indonesia to Rotterdam, Netherlands, when it was attacked, he said.
A distress signal was received and the ship is now thought to be en route to coastal waters near Somalia.
The International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Center said no direct contact has been made with the captain of the ship.
The latest seizure is the fourth hijacking to have taken place in a month. Pirate attacks on vessels and yachts sailing the major shipping route close to Somalia have surged recently.
The Gulf of Aden, where many of the attacks take place, links the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, forming one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The global maritime body advises merchant ships to stay at least 200 nautical miles from the country's coast.
Somali authorities have publicly blamed Western firms for paying hefty ransoms thus encouraging more hijackings. Some pirates have been arrested in connection with the attacks, but that has failed to halt the hijackings.
The United States and France have introduced a U.N. resolution that would allow foreign countries to chase and arrest pirates off Somalia's coast. Somalia has no navy and is unable to police its own shores.
The Horn of Africa nation which has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years is plagued by insecurity.
Source:Xinhua
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