Pirates fire at an LPG gas ship in the Congo

A group of armed pirates attacked an LPG tanker carrying out supply operations on October 29, about 101 nautical miles west of Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo.

IMB's Piracy Reporting Center said pirates in a speedboat chased and fired on the LPG tanker, causing the vessel to engage the emergency stop procedure and depart. The master employed evasive maneuvers and increased speed, managing to evade the pirates.

All crew members are safe.

The attack is being reported two days after 11 members of MV Pomerenia Sky, a container company operated by German Peter Dohle Schiffahrts, were kidnapped from Nigeria. Midocean (IOM) Ltd reported that nine crew remained on board the container vessel and were unharmed, according to Reuters. The company added that the vessel proceeded to safe waters.

A total of 156 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Center (PRC) in the first nine months of 2018, compared to 121 for the same period in 2017 The Gulf of Guinea accounts for 57 of the 156 reported incidents, with the majority of these incidents, 41, reported in and around Nigeria.

TOYS