Sailors Kidnapped By Pirates In Gulf Of Guinea Are 'Doing Well' - Ship Owner

Dutch company De Poli Shipmanagement whose vessel faced a pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea last week has established contact with the kidnapped crew members and is aware that they feel fine, company spokesman Cor Radings told Sputnik on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2021) Dutch company De Poli Shipmanagement whose vessel faced a pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea last week has established contact with the kidnapped crew members and is aware that they feel fine, company spokesman Cor Radings told Sputnik on Wednesday.

The vessel faced the attack on March 11, around 210 sea miles from Benin's city of Cotonou. Fifteen crew members were kidnapped, while six others remained on board of the vessel that was escorted to a safe anchorage at a nearby port. The Dutch company told Sputnik earlier that most of the kidnapped seafarers are citizens of the Philippines, there are also citizens of Baltic countries and a Russian.

"De Poli Shipmanagement report that contact has been established with crew members of its chemical tanker Davide B who were taken hostage in the Gulf of Guinea on March 11. The company can confirm that all fifteen seafarers are together and doing well under the difficult circumstances," Radings said.

The news has been conveyed to the next of keen of the crew, the spokesman added.

"De Poli Shipmanagement will not provide any further information on the dialogue with those holding our seafarers in order not to jeopardize the safety of our seafarers and would ask that this position to be respected," Radings continued.