Pirates Hijack Japanese Cargo Ship

Somali pirates have hijacked a Japanese operated cargo ship, with a crew of 20 Filipinos, off the coast of Kenya.

A Dutch warship in the area received a message from the captain of the Panama-flagged MV IZUMI, early Monday morning, reporting they had been hijacked. The 14,162 ton cargo ship, carrying steel, was headed to the Kenyan city of Mombasa when it was attacked.

The ships operator NYK-Hinode Line reported in a statement that on October 10 at 08:35 (local time 14:35 JST) the MV Izumi sent a Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) signal to the shipowner, Fair Field Shipping Co. Ltd. Fair Field Shipping received several more signals from the ship but has not been able to establish two-way communication with the ship.

NYK-Hinode Line will provide updates on their website, http://www.nyk-hinode.com/en/index.html.

Photo Courtesy of NYK-Hinode Line