Gulf of Guinea: Seafarer Kidnapped Two Weeks Ago Remains Missing
pirates
Seafarers who were kidnapped two weeks ago at the Gulf of Guinea by pirates are reported to be still missing.
On 5 September 2021, a group of six pirates attacked MV TAMPEN, a vessel owned by Mumbai-based Prince Marine Transport. The ship was en route to the UAE and was attacked while being anchored in Gabonese waters due to a malfunction in the propulsion system onboard. The pirates managed to abduct the Second Engineer of the ship, Pankaj Kumar.
FleetMon online reports that the group of 6 reportedly attacked and shot two seafarers as well. They attacked when the ship had to be anchored about two kilometers away from the Gabonese port of Owendo anchorage.
The vessel was originally headed to UAE from Cameroon but was diverted to Owendo for necessary repairs, with it being the nearest port.
It has now been 14 days since Kumar was abducted and there has been no information on his whereabouts. His brother, Sandeep Kumar has written to India’s Prime Minister- Narendra Modi, and the Ministry of External Affairs’ offices without success. He has also tried contacting the shipping company Proactive Shipping Management, which has thus far failed to be proactive about the situation.
He also spoke with John Rupchandani, Honorary Consul of India in Gabon, who reiterated that the search for his brother was carried on by Gabonese officials.
Speaking to Manorama, the Second Officer of the ship, Deepak Udayaraj, commented on the incident, “The shootout and all other related events are still unbelievable. Even after two days, I am not able to come out of the trauma.”
Even though the vessel itself is owned by Prince Marine Transport, the crew has been provided by Proactive Shipping Management.
His brother maintains that the family is in an extremely dire situation and that nobody has cooperated with them on the matter.
What’s important to note is that the vessel was stormed by pirates, even though the waters were reportedly under helicopter surveillance at the time of the abduction.
*Culled from FleetMon online news..
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