Hijacked Bulgarian Crewed UK Tanker Sailed without Navy Escort

The IMB added that the St. James Park had chosen "to act independently and unfortunately there was no naval ship close enough to offer assistance in time." Photo by BGNES

John Harbour, the spokesman for the European Union's anti-piracy force, has stated that the negotiations for the release of the hijacked UK chemical tanker, with 5 Bulgarians on board, will be difficult.

Harbour also said that the seizures of two ships by the Somali pirates on Monday were likely only a coincidence and not coordinated because several pirate bands operate in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

There was no report about any injuries and casualties so far on the two ships, an officer of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Wednesday. They added that the ships and crews had not yet been contacted. The St. James Park tanker was last night said to be heading toward the northern coast of Somalia.

The IMB added that the St. James Park had chosen "to act independently and unfortunately there was no naval ship close enough to offer assistance in time."

Meanwhile, Ecoterra International, a group that monitors shipping off Somalia, said that at least 12 foreign vessels and 263 seafarers were currently being held by the pirates close to the Horn of Africa.

On Tuesday it was reported that five Bulgarian sailors are part of the crew of a UK tanker. The crew includes 26 sailors from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, the Philippines, Poland, India, and Turkey.

The five Bulgarians were hired by the Varna-based firm Zodiac. According to its Director, Prodan Radanov, four of them are from Varna, and it is still unknown where the fifth man is from.

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