Somali pirates releases Singapore-flagged chemical tanker

Somali pirates have freed a Singaporean-flagged chemical tanker after receiving unknown amount of ransom, a regional maritime official confirmed on Friday.

Andrew Mwangura, the East Africa Coordinator of Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) said the pirates freed the MV Pramoni early on Friday and the vessel is sailing away from the Somali coast.

"The vessel which was seized on Jan. 1 with 24 crew members from China, India, Nigeria and Vietnam was released early today after its owners paid ransom," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone from Mombasa, east Kenya.

He said the MV Pramoni had 17 Indonesians, five Chinese, one Nigerian and one Vietnamese.

The owners of the Singapore-flagged chemical tanker, M/V Pramoni, on Thursday reportedly dropped off a ransom for the release of the vessel.

The vessel, which was en route to India, was captured by pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Jan. 1 and is anchored off the Somali pirate stronghold of Eyl.

Hundreds of other people remain hostage aboard hijacked ships in the Gulf of Aden and its surrounding seas.

Piracy has become rampant off the coast of Africa, especially in the waters near Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991.

Ransoms started out in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions.

An estimated 25,000 ships annually cruise the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia's northern coast. Over 10 ships and 200 crew members are still held by Somali pirates.

The Gulf of Aden, off the northern coast of Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world. About 25,000 ships use the channel south of Yemen, between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

Source: Xinhua