8 Kidnapped Sailors to Avoid Media upon Arrival in Bulgaria

Society | May 18, 2009, Monday // 11:26|  views

The hijacked 32 000-tonne Malaspina Castle had 16 Bulgarian sailors on board. Photo by shipsandharbours.com

Eight of the kidnapped in the Gulf of Aden and recently released Bulgarian sailors will return home Tuesday.

The information was confirmed by Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry. Earlier reports informed the sailors were returning Monday.

The eight sailors, scheduled to fly to Bulgaria, are in a hotel in Sri Lanka, awaiting confirmation of their flight reservation.

The other eight Bulgarian sailors, among them the skipper and one of his aids, are going to stay on board "Malaspina Castle" and will continue to Singapore.

Ivan Gadev, representative in Bulgaria of the company owner of the ship is in Sri Lanka, told Darik radio the sailors were still undergoing medical exams.

The ship has arrived in Sril Lanka during inclement weather and difficult conditions, but the entire crew is doing well, Gadev said, adding the sailors who were going to return to Bulgaria will fly from Sri Lanka no later then Tuesday.

Gadev further informed that the ship had to be thoroughly cleaned due to the goat given to the sailors by their Somali kidnappers.

Gadev is adamant the sailors retuning home did not want to announce their flight number and the arrival airport because they fear the increased media interest and wish to keep their privacy.

The Malaspina Castle ship was hijacked on April 6, 2009, in the Gulf of Aden. It is UK-owned under Panamanian flag. 16 of its 24-member crew are Bulgarians, and the rest include Russians, Ukrainians, and Filipinos.

 

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Tags: somali pirates, Malaspina Castle, ransom, release

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