Rome: An Italian vessel carrying 23 crew,
including Indians, was hijacked by five pirates about 620
miles east of the Somali coast today, the D'Alesio shipping
company said.
The owners of the M/V Montecristo said the crew comprised
Italian, Ukrainian and Indian nationals, adding it was
"actively collaborating with all the related Italian and
international authorities to respond to the emergency."
"There has been no contact with the ship 1014 IST this
morning," when the captain sent a message saying the vessel
was under attack and he had activated "the security operating
procedure."
"After 10 hours without news, we can consider the ship
hijacked," a spokesman from the Livorno-based company said.
Italy's foreign ministry said it was in contact with the
shipping company and was closely monitoring the situation.
PTI
First Published: Monday, October 10, 2011, 23:06