Africa

Africa

Somali pirates seized supertanker Sirius Star loaded with $100 million crude

18 November 2008 11:26 (UTC +04:00)

Somaliaâ€“APA. Somali pirates hijacked a supertanker hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa, seizing the Saudi-owned ship Sirius Star loaded with crude and its 25-member crew, APA reports. It was the largest ship pirates have seized, and the farthest out to sea they have successfully struck. Fully loaded, the ship’s cargo could be worth about $100 million, 25 per cent of Saudi daily oil production. The ship was sailing under a Liberian flag and its 25-member crew includes citizens of Croatia, Britain, the Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia. Somali pirates are usually demanding $ 2-million ransom, but this attack is expected to be more lucrative for them. 83 ships have been attacked by Somali pirates since beginning 2008 and 33 of them were seized by the pirates. Nearly 200 crew members are still in hostage.