ID :
30622
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 10:36
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/30622
The shortlink copeid
Hijacked ship Stolt Valor released, 18 Indian sailors safe
Mumbai/New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) Eighteen Indian sailors were Sunday freed after two months in captivity when Somali pirates released their hijacked merchant ship M T Stolt Valor in the Gulf of Aden following payment of an unspecified amount of "ransom".
The ship and the Indian sailors have been released and
"there is no major medical problem (among the crew members)",
National Union of Seafarers of India (N.U.S.I.) General
Secretary Abdul Gani told PTI from Hong Kong.
Gani, who had gone to Hong Kong for negotiations on
the release of the ship carrying 23,818 tonnes oil products,
refused to go into specifics but said, "definitely ransom has
been paid but we will not be able to go into details of the
amount."
The ship will take some time to clear the danger zone
and reach safe waters, he said, thanking the Indian navy for
its presence in the area. "We appreciate the efforts of the
Indian Navy. Definitely it (the ship) would be escorted out
safely from the danger zone."
Seema Goel, wife of Capt of the ship Prabhat Goel,
told PTI, "I got an official information from Director
General, Shipping, that the ship has been released by the
hijackers today. They will be reaching India in another
four-five days".
Asked whether any ransom was paid for the release,
Seema, who is in Dehradun with her three children and
parents-in-law, said she had no information how the release
was secured. Seema had run from pillar to post approaching
authorities for the release of the sailors.
The cargo ship, owned by a Japanese company and
managed by Fleet Marine Ltd in Mumbai, was hijacked by the
armed Somali pirates on September 15. The hijackers had
demanded a ransom of USD six million for the release of the
crew and later had brought the amount down to USD 2.5 million.
Asked as to when the crew member would return to
Mumbai, Gani said, "there will be probably a change of crew
and they will be flown to Mumbai as they have already endured
enough for the last two months". PTI VT
DEP
The ship and the Indian sailors have been released and
"there is no major medical problem (among the crew members)",
National Union of Seafarers of India (N.U.S.I.) General
Secretary Abdul Gani told PTI from Hong Kong.
Gani, who had gone to Hong Kong for negotiations on
the release of the ship carrying 23,818 tonnes oil products,
refused to go into specifics but said, "definitely ransom has
been paid but we will not be able to go into details of the
amount."
The ship will take some time to clear the danger zone
and reach safe waters, he said, thanking the Indian navy for
its presence in the area. "We appreciate the efforts of the
Indian Navy. Definitely it (the ship) would be escorted out
safely from the danger zone."
Seema Goel, wife of Capt of the ship Prabhat Goel,
told PTI, "I got an official information from Director
General, Shipping, that the ship has been released by the
hijackers today. They will be reaching India in another
four-five days".
Asked whether any ransom was paid for the release,
Seema, who is in Dehradun with her three children and
parents-in-law, said she had no information how the release
was secured. Seema had run from pillar to post approaching
authorities for the release of the sailors.
The cargo ship, owned by a Japanese company and
managed by Fleet Marine Ltd in Mumbai, was hijacked by the
armed Somali pirates on September 15. The hijackers had
demanded a ransom of USD six million for the release of the
crew and later had brought the amount down to USD 2.5 million.
Asked as to when the crew member would return to
Mumbai, Gani said, "there will be probably a change of crew
and they will be flown to Mumbai as they have already endured
enough for the last two months". PTI VT
DEP
