Monday, October 11, 2010

Pirates seize Japanese ship with 20 Filipino sailors: EU

BRUSSELS (AFP) - – Pirates hijacked a Japanese ship carrying 20 Filipino sailors in the Somali Basin, the European Union's anti-piracy mission said on Monday.

A Danish warship was dispatched to investigate after the owners of the Panama-flagged merchant vessel Izumi received a distress signal on Sunday indicating it was likely under pirate attack, the EU naval force said.

"In the early hours of October 11 the captain of the vessel made contact with the Danish warship, stating that pirates were in charge of the MV Izumi," the EU mission said in a statement.

The French warship FS Floreal is monitoring the pirated vessel, which was 170 nautical miles south of Mogadishu, the statement said.

The Japanese transport ministry had reported earlier that the multi-purpose ship, owned by Japanese shipping company NYK-Hinode Line Ltd., was surrounded by pirates off Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa.

Source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101011/tap-japan-piracy-shipping-kenya-philippi-5cc1ef8.html

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