Chemical Tanker attacked by Pirates – Navy return fire
On September 15, a chemical tanker “Hanze Kochi” owned by Netherlands Company Hanzevest Shipping was attacked by pirates in Gulf of Guinea off Bayelsa state, Nigeria. It has been reported that a group of armed pirates opened fire while chasing the vessel by speedboat. The pirates succeeded to attach two massive ladders onto the hand rails of the tanker and boarded the vessel. An alarm was raised by the duty officer present onboard the ship and the crew members were locked in the citadel. A distress call was sent to the Nigerian navy by the crew members onboard the ship.
The ship was seized by the pirates and they were successful in robbing some of the crew members’ room but had to leave in haste due to the approaching Nigerian navy guards opening fire on the pirates. The pirates shortly abandoned the ship and fled to the shore. The Nigerian navy freed the crew members and currently an investigation is underway. Nobody was injured from the incident and the ship reportedly resumed its journey to Lagos on September 15th, 2016.
It has been reported to all stakeholders that the pirates were likely intent on kidnapping the vessel with its crew member’s offshore. The incident has been added to the MarTrack and updates can be followed through the MarTrack Webview.
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Source: ASKET
