Tug hijacked off Somalia
February 5 2008
Svitzer tugboat hijacked by pirates near the coast of Somalia.
The Svitzer Korsakov, a tugboat from the fleet of the Maersk owned Svitver company, has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia.
Onboard are one British, one Irish and four Russian crewmembers. Svitzer has been in contact with the captain of the ship and the crew is reported to unharmed.
“Svitzer has been in contact with the hijackers and is now working on a solution so the crew can be set free,” Peter Beck-Bang, A.P. Moller-Maersk spokesperson, told the Ritzau news agency. He declined to to comment on the hijackers’ demands.
According to the Russian Transport Ministry, the vessel was en route from St. Petersburg to Sakhalin with a call at Singapore.
The coast of Somalia is one of the most dangerous areas in international shipping.
The tugboat is chartered on a contract for the oil company, Sakhalin Energy, for 17 years.
Danish maritime authorities are investigating the matter in order to expand safety zones for Danish vessels in the area.
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