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View Full Version : Pirates in Indian Ocean seize Italian oil tanker


Gerald
02-08-11, 09:41 AM
Pirates have boarded and taken control of an Italian oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Italian navy has said.

The pirates fired shots at the Savina Caylyn during the attack, some 500 miles (800km) off the coast of India and 800 miles (1,300km) from Somalia.

A navy spokesperson said that no-one had been hurt among the crew of 17 Indians and five Italians.

EU naval forces said the attack on the tanker took place east of the Yemeni island of Socotra.

The ship is carrying a load of crude oil and was destined for Pasir Gudang port in Malaysia, Reuters reports.

An Italian navy frigate was heading to the scene but remains some 600 miles away and is expected to take several days to arrive, Italian media reports say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12390068

Note: 8 February 2011 Last updated at 10:15 GMT

Herr-Berbunch
02-08-11, 09:45 AM
The Italians are probably waving the Somali flag right now, but the Indians will not go so easily.

TLAM Strike
02-08-11, 10:34 AM
How the situation will spiral out of control...

Italian Crewman to Somali Pirate: You know we totally owned your country once...

Krauter
02-08-11, 11:06 AM
Wonder how much faster the situation will spiral once we realize this could affect oil shipments in that area...

Herr-Berbunch
02-08-11, 11:31 AM
Wonder how much faster the situation will spiral once we realize this could affect oil shipments in that area...

Oil shipments have always been affected. I've got a friend who is First Officer on Shell's tankers. He says that the major companies just stump up as the revenue from the oil is greater than they lose paying up. And he has hinted that they do take on 'protection' before transitting that area.

Schöneboom
02-08-11, 10:30 PM
People have been saying for a while that escorted convoys are the way to go:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123966729406515295.html

It boggles the mind that shipping companies are still not willing to coordinate. Surely it must be possible to arrange it in a way that makes more economic sense than putting crewmen in harm's way and paying ransoms!

Gerald
02-09-11, 04:04 AM
Sure there are other ways to go with the ships, as we all know, with it comes the money to take that kind of routes

Krauter
02-09-11, 11:17 AM
What we need to do is line the ships hull with these...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tABFbtmJHuA

That way boarders get booted off :D