afrol News, 26 August - A Filipino sailor has died aboard Malaysian palm oil tanker seized by armed pirates in the Gulf of Eden off coast of Somalia last Tuesday.

According to a statement by Malaysian shipping line MISC, the seaman died in an accident when pirates boarded palm-oil tanker last Tuesday, though it did not clearly reveal the kind of accident that led to sailorman's death.

Bunga Melati Dua, owned by Malaysian shipping company MISC, was seized last Tuesday in the Gulf of Aden with 39 crew-members, including 29 Malaysians and 10 Filipinos, and remains in the hands of pirates.

"We have been able to establish more communication with the crew. All remaining crew members are safe and are taken care of. Negotiations are ongoing to secure their safe release," statement said.

The statement further said it could not reveal detailed information of the seized ship in order to protect crew members.

Waters off East African coast, are considered among most dangerous in the world, with cargo ships and luxury yachts being targeted by heavily armed pirates demanding ransom. Pirates are also targeting ships carrying food aid.

Last Thursday and Friday, three more ships were hijacked off the Somali coast in an unprecedented series of attacks. Seven ships have been menaced in the Gulf of Aden in the past month.

Noel Choong, head of the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, said he was unable to provide further details on the Malaysian ship or the other vessels.

Somalia, which has no central government at the moment, has left IMB with no option but to call on United Nations to take action to secure waters and stop piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

The waters off Somalia and Nigeria are the most pirate-infested in the world, with IMB reporting over 20 attacks in Somalia and 18 in Nigeria between April and June this year.

According to United Nations, over 26 pirate attacks on civilian ships have occurred in the area since beginning of this year.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991 and foreign vessels are frequently seized for ransom by pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and automatic weapons, making it difficult and expensive to deliver aid through the area.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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