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Greek freighter captured by Somali pirates in Indian Ocean
Sep 26, 2010, 10:52 GMT
Nairobi/Mogadishu - A Greek freighter was seized on Saturday around 900 kilometres off the Somali coast - the latest in a long line of such attacks.
The Panama-registered MS Lugela, carrying a cargo of steel and with a Ukrainian crew of 12, reported the attack in an emergency call to the company's headquarters, a spokesman for the European Union's anti-piracy mission Atalanta said.
Shortly afterwards, contact was lost with the ship.
As the current monsoon season comes to a close, the number of such hijacking is expected to increase again.
The waters off Somalia are probably the most dangerous in the world for merchant shipping, with at least 20 vessels currently being held for ransom.
Somalia is torn by civil war, and has had no functioning government since 1991. Although an EU naval vessels patrol the waters, there is no Somali coast guard, and attacks are frequent.
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