The owner of the MV Mozart has made contact with fifteen crew members abducted from the vessel during a violent and deadly pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea off Sao Tome last week.
Istanbul-based Boden Denizcilik confirms that all fifteen seafarers are well, uninjured and together, and their families have been contacted.
The Mozart was attacked as it was underway some 100 nautical miles off the coast of Sao Tome while en route from Lagos, Nigeria to Cape Town, South Africa, on January 23. During the incident, armed pirates apparently gained access to the ship’s citadel, a type of safe room on board the vessel, possibly through the use of explosives. One crew member was killed in the attack.
The manager of the containership MV Mozart has expressed condolences after the death of crew member during a violent pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday.
Fifteen others were kidnapped in the incident as the armed pirates apparently gained access to the ship’s citadel, a type of safe room on board the vessel, possibly through the use of explosives.
“Borealis Maritime would like to express their deepest condolences to the family of the seafarer on board of their managed container ship Mozart who has tragically died following an attack by pirates on the vessel in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday January 23. The company’s thoughts are with the next of kin of the deceased seafarer and with the families of the other crew of the vessel of which 15 have been kidnapped by the attackers,” Borealis said in a statement.
Piracy Surge Off West Africa Draws Maersk Call for Action By William Clowes | January 21, 2021
The world’s biggest shipping company demanded a more effective military response to surging pirate attacks and record kidnappings off the coast of West Africa.
The number of attacks on vessels globally jumped 20% last year to 195, with 135 crew kidnapped, the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre said in a Jan. 13 report. The Gulf of Guinea accounted for 95% of hostages taken in 22 separate instances, and all three of the hijackings that occurred, the agency said.
The attacks have pushed up insurance and other costs for shippers operating off West Africa, with some resorting to hiring escort vessels manned by armed navy personnel. A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, which transports about 15% of the globe’s seaborne freight, said decisive action needs to be taken.
Maersk Demands Military Action with Rising Pirates Attacks in W Africa thisdaylive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thisdaylive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.