19 RP seamen in Somali territory after hijacking

Published November 19, 2008 11:49am

The Sirius Star is 330 meters long, about the length of an aircraft carrier, making it one of the largest ships to sail the seas. AP

(Updated 2:11 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - At least 19 Filipino seafarers are on board the Saudi oil super tanker hijacked by Somali pirates over the weekend, the Dubai-based ship owner revealed. In a statement on Tuesday (Dubai time), Vela International Marine Limited, owner of the VLCC tanker Sirius Star said a majority of the ship's 25 crew members were Filipinos. The multinational crew also included two British, two Polish, a Croatian and a Saudi national. All 25 crew members on board are believed to be unharmed as the fully laden oil tanker was anchored off the coast of Somalia. "Our first and foremost priority is ensuring the safety of the crew," said Salah B. Ka'aki, President & CEO of Vela International Marine Ltd. Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Wednesday that the Filipinos were indeed among those involved in the latest piracy attack by Somali nationals. Currently, there are 127 Filipino seafarers who are still under the custody of Somali pirates since September 2008. The Philippines supplies one-third of the total seafaring manpower in the world, making them the most at risk in kidnappings in the high seas. The Associated Press earlier reported that Somalis on shore were stunned by the gigantic vessel â€” as long as an aircraft carrier at 1,080 feet (329 meters). "As usual, I woke up at 3 a.m. and headed for the sea to fish, but I saw a very, very large ship anchored less than three miles off the shore," Abdinur Haji, a fisherman in Harardhere told the AP in a phone interview. He said two small boats floated out to the ship and 18 men â€” presumably other pirates â€” climbed aboard with a rope ladder. Spectators watched as a small boat carried food and qat, a narcotic leaf popular in Somalia, to the supertanker. Never before have Somali pirates seized such a giant ship so far out to sea â€” and never a vessel so large. The captors of the Sirius Star anchored the ship, with a full load of 2 million barrels of oil and 25 crew members, close to a main pirate den on the Somali coast, Harardhere. Sea pirates usually target vessels that have low-lying decks like freighters and chemical tankers. However, Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the US Navy's 5th Fleet told the AP that Somali pirates have expanded their ability to attack so far out at sea and are "certainly a threat to many more vessels." Meanwhile the ship owner assured that they are maintaining the communication lines open for the pirates and the relatives of the 25 crew members on board their ship. "We are in communication with their families and are working toward their safe and speedy return," Ka'aki said. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

Tags: somalia, filipinoseamen, hijacking, piracy