Singapore-registered tanker hijacked off Kenyan waters

SINGAPORE : A Singapore-registered chemical tanker with 25 personnel on board is believed to have been hijacked by pirates off Kenyan waters and heading towards Somalia.

The vessel belongs to Glory Ship Management Pte Ltd.

The company said the MT Gemini, an ABS class medium-range 29,871 deadweight tonne vessel, is believed to have been hijacked at about 12.30pm Singapore time on Saturday.

The vessel was carrying over 28,000 metric tonnes of crude palm oil from Indonesia.

It had left Kuala Tanjung, Sumatra, on April 16 for Mombasa, Kenya.

The vessel was on spot charter for a Singapore charterer.

Glory confirmed that four of the crew, including the captain, are from South Korea, 13 are from Indonesia, three are from Myanmar and five are from China.

Its Singapore office last made satellite phone contact with the ship captain in the early afternoon (Singapore time) on April 30 before contact was cut off.

"Our highest concerns are for the safety and well-being of the crew members. Since learning of the incident, Glory's management and its manning agents are exhausting all efforts to contact the family members of the crew in the respective countries," Glory said in a statement on Sunday.

"We will make every effort to secure their release. The company is keeping the appropriate Singapore and international authorities fully informed of the situation. As our absolute priority is the safety and well-being of the crew, we are not at liberty to release any further details of the situation," it added.