Pirate Attack Leaves Five Crew Members Dead in Honour 25 Rescue
Cubierto por 4 fuentesPublicado
- marinetraffic_maritimenewsFive Crewmembers of Tanker Killed Before Authorities Manage A Rescue
- MARITIME_EXECUTIVEFive Seafarers Killed as Crackdown on Somali Pirates Proceeds
- Portal PortuarioRescatan a cuatro tripulantes pakistaníes secuestrados por piratas frente a costas de Somalia
- Portal PortuarioLiberan a ocho tripulantes egipcios secuestrados a bordo de petrolero frente a costas de Somalia
- safety 4seaThree hijacked vessels freed with 44 seafarers released in the Indian Ocean
- Portal PortuarioSecretario General de la OMI lamenta fallecimiento de tripulantes durante rescate de buque secuestrado
The Palau-flagged tanker Honour 25 was hijacked on April 21 off the northern coast of Somalia while sailing toward Mogadishu, and remained in pirates' hands for nearly five months. On September 29, Puntland security forces managed to retake the vessel and rescue the remaining crew, although five crew members were killed and four others were wounded during the operation. The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) reported that it captured 16 pirates and is pursuing others who managed to escape.
Victims and circumstances
Among the five crew members killed were three Pakistani nationals, one Indian national, and one national of Myanmar, as confirmed by both the PMPF and reports gathered by Maritime Executive. According to the authorities' version, the pirates killed the crew before the rescue operation began, while survivors' accounts and local reports indicate that the deaths occurred during an exchange of gunfire, as the captors attempted to flee or had even offered to surrender. Among those killed, without official confirmation, were reportedly the vessel's chief engineer, second officer and third engineer, as well as an Indian cook and an Indian seaman.
Other vessels freed
The rescue of the Honour 25 came as part of a series of operations by Puntland forces against Somali piracy, which in the preceding days had also freed the vessel Seamull (known as Sibu 1) and the Togo-flagged tanker Eureka. In the case of the Eureka, the pirates attempted to run the vessel aground and flee, and according to some reports even tried to set it on fire before abandoning the 12 crew members, including eight Egyptians whose release was diplomatically arranged by Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty. In total, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) confirmed that 44 crew members were freed from the three vessels—Honour 25, Seamull/Sibu 1 and Eureka—hijacked between April and August of this year.
IMO reaction
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Domínguez expressed regret over the deaths of the five Honour 25 crew members and offered his condolences to their families and colleagues, while thanking the Government of Somalia for its efforts to free the vessels. Domínguez noted that 22 seafarers remain held captive aboard the tanker Asana, hijacked earlier this year, and called for renewed international cooperation to combat piracy in the region, including strengthening the Eunavfor Aspides and Atalanta operations.
Repatriation of survivors
Pakistan confirmed the rescue of four of its ten nationals who were held aboard the Honour 25, whose arrival in Karachi was expected on October 3, according to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The official noted that the remains of the three Pakistani crew members who died were also being repatriated, while three other Pakistani crew members remained aboard the vessel along with the captain, with efforts underway to secure their safe return.
