Pirates hijacked a Chinese ship carrying 29 sailors in the Arabian Sea and told the ship's owner that they were sailing the vessel to Somalia, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.
The Panama-flagged ship, named Yuan Xiang, was seized last night by an unknown number of pirates, with officials receiving a report from ship owner Ningbo Hongyuan Ship Management just before midnight, Xinhua said, citing the China Marine Rescue Centre (CMRC).
CMRC was unable to get in touch with the hijacked ship and the fate of the sailors remained unclear, Xinhua said, adding that the attacked occurred outside a region protected by a multinational force, including China's navy.
The latest attack was made just one day after pirates took control of a Panama-flagged chemical tanker with a crew of 31 off the coast of Somalia.
Piracy is rife off the coast of Somalia in east Africa, disrupting shipping lanes between Europe and Asia, putting crews and vessels in danger and jacking up insurance rates for shipowners.
Reuters