New Delhi: Bringing a bit of welcome news for the families of the 22 Indians on board the merchant ship that went missing off the Benin coast, External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted, "I am happy to inform you that Merchant Ship Marine Express with 22 Indian nationals on board has been released."
The oil tanker with 22 Indians onboard went missing off the Benin coast in the Gulf of Guinea near West Africa, the Ministry of External Affairs had said on Monday. The missing merchant vessel is owned by Mumbai-based Anglo Eastern shipping company.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that the Indian mission in the Nigerian capital Abuja is in contact with authorities in Nigeria and Benin. The two countries are coordinating efforts to locate the missing vessel and are monitoring the situation.
The Anglo Eastern shipping company has requested the Directorate General of Shipping in Mumbai to get in touch with the Nigerian and Beninese authorities to conduct search operations for the missing vessel which was carrying gas oil, reported news agency ANI. The agency, citing reports, said that there is a high possibility that the ship might have been hijacked by pirates off west Africa.
