September 25 (SeeNews) - Swiss company Massoel Shipping has made contact with the hostage takers of the 12 crew members kidnapped on board its bulk carrier MV Glarus off the Nigerian coast on September 22, it told SeeNews on Tuesday.
"It is understood that all crew are together and all are well and unharmed," the Geneva-based company said in an emailed statement, after Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia all confirmed on Monday that their nationals are among those taken hostage.
The MV Glarus was attacked by pirates while en route from Lagos to Port Harcourt carrying bulk wheat, Massoel Shipping told SeeNews earlier.
It is understood the pirates boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck to gain access to the vessel and eventually the bridge. Having destroyed much of the vessel’s communications equipment the criminal gang departed, taking 12 of the 19 crew members as hostage.
Among the kidnapped crew members are seven nationals of the Philippines, with a national each from Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Romania, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) tweeted.
The MV Glarus is currently safe at Port Harcourt with the remaining seven crew members on board, Massoel Shipping said.
It added that it will not be making any further comments on operational issues as this could prejudice the safety of those being held.