Somali pirates seize ship with 24 Vietnamese crew

Nairobi: The European Union Naval Force says
that Somali pirates have seized a Vietnamese-owned bulk
carrier with 24 crew on board.

Today`s statement says the MV Hoang Son Sun was taken
approximately 520 miles (836 kilometers) southeast of the port
of Muscat in Oman. The crew are all Vietnamese and the ship is
Mongolian-flagged.

The statement says the ship was not registered with
maritime authorities responsible for helping prevent pirate
attacks.

There are now 30 vessels and 724 hostages being held by
pirates off the coast of Somalia. The lawless nation lies next
to one of the world`s most important shipping routes and has
not had a functioning government for 20 years.

PTI