Maritime Casualties--December 30, 2009

Multiple Pirate Attacks

• Pirates Hijack Three Vessels and Release Chinese Ship

Pirates have successfully hijacked three more vessels off the lawless Somali coast; a Yemeni freighter, a Greek-flagged bulk carrier and a UK-flagged chemical tanker.

The chemical tanker, St. James Park was en route from Spain to Thailand with an international crew of 26 when pirates intercepted them in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker's last port of call was Jeddah in Saudi Arabia but is now heading near Somali's northern coast.

The 52,000-tonne, Greek-flagged bulk carrier, Navios Apollon was seized in the Indian Ocean on Monday. The vessel was transporting fertilizer from Tampa, Florida to Rozy, India with 19 crew members on board. According to local reports, 10 men on speedboats boarded the ship northeast of the Seychelles.

Pirates also captured a Yemeni freighter, Al-Mahmoudia 2 and its 15 crew in the Gulf of Aden, which left the port of Aden on December 18.

On Sunday, pirates released the Chinese cargo ship, De Xin Hai after receiving over $3 million in ransom. All 25 crew members and the ship are in good condition heading to a safe port under the watchful eye of a Chinese naval escort fleet.