Oil tanker goes missing with 22 Indian crew members.
An Indian oil tanker with 22 crew members has gone missing off the coast of Benin, West Africa, raising fears it may have been attacked by pirates.
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The last known location of the oil tanker. Graphic:mid-day. |
The oil tanker Marine Express went missing off the coast of Benin, Gulf of Guinea, on February 1st. The ship is owned by Anglo Eastern, a Hong Kong-based shipping company. The company stated that the safety of its crew members is its top priority.
India is in contact with Nigerian and Benin authorities today to locate the ship and its crew. Raveesh Kumar, pAn Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said that a 24/7 hotline has been set up by the Indian embassy in Nigeria to provide information about missing persons.
This is the second ship to go missing in the area this past month.MT Barrett was attacked by pirates in January, but the crew, mostly Indian, were released after a ransom was paid, according to reports.Islamic TimesMany people are concerned that a similar situation will happen to the Marine Express.
Nigerian authorities have asked all ships to report any sightings of the missing oil tanker.
