Sunday the German born ship Beluga Fortune had been assaulted and boarded by Somali pirates. A scant 24 hrs later, the buccaneers jumped vessel and fled following the Beluga Fortune crew members locked themselves in a safe room and shut down the vessel. Almost two decades of anarchy in Somalia has permitted piracy to thrive and 2010 has seen the highest occurrence of pirate assaults since 2005.
The Beluga Fortune did not proceed with the confrontation with buccaneers
From the United Arab Emirates, the Beluga Fortune had been on its way to South Africa. Out of nowhere, an attack came from Somali pirates. The ship had been only 1,200 miles east of Mombasa, Kenya when the pirates got it, reports the Associated Press. A distress call came from the vessel as soon as the pirates attacked. Then, all 16 members of the crew locked themselves within the panic room designed for times like this, accounts Reuters. From the room, the crew shut down the engines, cut off fuel and disabled the bridge.
Panic room makes pirates really angry
Somali pirates are frustrated by a panic room before, in Sept through the seizure of the German Freighter Magellan Star. American soldiers freed the vessel only 22 hrs following it was taken, accounts Spiegal Online International. The team went into a room that had been hard to find and harder to break into called a safety room. The room was stocked with food, drinks, medical equipment and supplies. The ship’s owners were in contact with the captain. A satellite phone made this possible. A secret emergency exit was there for the men if they had to leave. This had been if they needed to get off the ship. A spokesman for the Magellan Star’s owner told Spiegal “the pirates called our shipping company in desperation, wanting to know where the crew was.”
Facts about the Somali buccaneers
The Somalia government collapsed in 1991 which has left shipping off the country’s coast very difficult with Somali pirates. According to the European Union Naval force, Somali pirates are currently holding 19 ships and 428 hostages. 44 percent of the pirate assaults within the last year have come from the Somali buccaneers, reports the Strategy Page. Since Jan, one crew member has been killed, and 27 are injured. A total of 773 sailors are held for ransom.
Information from
Reuters
reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69O3PB20101025
Associated Press
google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jhf_eEAne8QCbP_9nViK4DY-n1MA?docId=115bc0cbadeb42168886f496e28510be
Strategy Page
strategypage.com/htmw/htseamo/articles/20101025.aspx
Jeff-goodall
jeff-goodall.com/?p=2241
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