Ahmedabad: Somalian pirates have released
a fifth Indian dhow with 11 sailors on board while
negotiations are on for freeing the remaining three vessels
captured last month, a shipping association said here today.
"Sea Queen, a slow moving vehicle (dhow), hijacked by
the pirates last month was released on April 3 but the sailors
could not communicate it to us as the equipment was looted by
pirates," president of Kutch Vahanvati Association (KVA) Kasam
Ali Bholim said.
"Pirates released the vessel and crew members after
looting all the things on the dhow as it ran out of fuel,"
Bholim said.
"The crew somehow managed to reach Sicotra Islands
near Somalia and informed us about their release using
communication equipment of another ship," Bholim said.
Sea Queen is owned by a Gandhidham-based member of
KVA, Bholim said.
Pirates have so far released five of the eight vessels
hijacked by them last month.
Three other vessels are still with the pirates with
over 40 crew members and the shipping association is
negotiating with pirates for their release.
PTI
