Hijack Fear on Turkish Cargo ship with 24 Indians onboard
It is informed that near Port Gentil off the coast of Gabon in central
Africa a Turkish cargo ship with 24 Indians aboard is suspected to have been
hijacked by pirates.
The ship, MT Cotton, is captained by Captain Sishir Wahi of Kolkata. The family of Captain has lost all the contact and got panicked on Tuesday (July 16 2013)
Officials suspect the hijackers may be locals, not Somalis. It was not immediately known if a ransom demand had been made.
"Around 12.30pm, we called up the company officials who said the ship
was suspected to have been hijacked by pirates," Wahi's daughter Richa
told. At least five others from West Bengal are among the Indian crew
on MT Cotton.
"We are trying our best to get the details of 24 Indian crew. The
Turkish owners told us they are in touch with the authorities in Gabon
and doing their best to free the crew," Captain Vaivab Dalvi, crew
director of the hiring company, told us over phone from Mumbai.
Captain Wahi left home in Kolkata on July 5 to join the ship's crew.
"He took charge as captain on July 12. That night he emailed us and
said there was some technical problem and he will not be able to email
us. Since then we have had no contact with him," Richa, a freelance
educationist, said.
Captain Wahi lives in Alipore with his daughter, wife Preeti and 82-year-old mother Shama. His son Siddharth works in London.
Siddharth is trying to communicate with the Turkish owners of the
ship to get more information. The family is also trying to get in touch
with external affairs ministry.
"We just want everyone including my father to come home safely. My
grandmother and mother are unwell ever since she heard the news. We are
devastated and do not know what to do," Richa added.
Pirates have repeatedly targeted cargo vessels near African coasts,
especially Somalia, over the years. In March 2011, the Indian Navy
captured 61 Somali pirates after intercepting them in the Arabian Sea.
Source: Hidustan Times
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