Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Somali pirates release Panama-flagged bulk carrier

Somali pirates have released a Panama-flagged bulk ship along with its crew of 21 from Philippines which they seized in late April, the head of a regional maritime group said on Monday.

The MV Voc Daisy was taken 190 miles south east of the Omani port of Salalah on April 21.

"The ship was released on Sunday, and it is headed to Salalah. The 21 Filipino crew are safe," Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme told Reuters by phone. He said it was not clear if any ransom was paid.

Over the weekend, South Korea's Foreign Affairs Ministry and the European Union naval force Eunavfor said South-Korean fishing vessel Golden Wave -- formerly known as Keummi 305 -- had been seized by pirates off Kenya's coast.

The South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that the ship, seized on Oct. 9, had a crew of 39 Kenyans, two Koreans and two Chinese. (Reporting by George Obulutsa and Hyun Joo Jin in Seoul)

Source: Reuters

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