Oil tanker with 22 Indian sailors suspected hijacked in Africa
An oil tanker with 22 Indian sailors on board has gone missing off the coast of Benin in West Africa. The Hong Kong-based owners of the MT Marine Express, Anglo Eastern Ship Management, lost contact with the vessel on January 31. It is suspected that the tanker, carrying 13,500 tonnes of gasoline worth $8.1mn, might have been hijacked by pirates.
The ship was last traced to the port of Coutonou
The vessel's last recorded location was at the port of Coutonou in Benin. The next day, it went missing from anchorage in the Gulf of Guinea. The entire crew is Indian. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs is in touch authorities in Nigeria and other African countries and has sought help in locating it. The Nigerian Navy and Coast Guard are carrying out aerial searches.
MEA confirms details of the missing ship
Second pirate attack in less than a month
According to Maritime Bulletin, the Marine Express went missing from the same area where another tanker, the MT Barrett, had been hijacked on January 9. The crew and the vessel were released after a week, reportedly after the owners Union Maritime paid ransom. The owners and other stakeholders often don't disclose details of such incidents to ensure the crew's safety.
Call on this number for any information on missing crew
Raveesh Kumar, the official MEA spokesperson, has urged people to call on the 24-hour helpline set up by the Indian Embassy in Nigeria to provide any information on those missing. The Embassy can be contacted at +234-9070343860.
