Pirates Attack Oil Tanker, 3 Dead
A tanker crewman has died following an armed attack on a Medaillon Reederei ship off West Africa.
Two pirates were also killed during a gun battle with armed security guards on board the SP Brussels on Tuesday night.
The pirates hit the vessel at 11:00 p.m. local time as the ship sailed from Port Harcourt to Lagos, Nigeria. The crew retreated to the citadel, but two were unable to reach the safe room before the crossfire began.
During a search of the vessel this morning, the security team found the body of one seafarer. A second with minor injuries was found hiding on the ship, according to TradeWinds.
The shipowner is notifying next of kin, so no further details have been revealed as of yet.
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Seventeen crewmembers and two armed guards were on board the tanker when the pirates attacked.
This is the second time the SP Brussels has been the victim of a pirate attack in the area. In December 2012, five seafarers were kidnapped from the ship, but later returned safely.