Pirates thwarted from boarding ship

Pirates thwarted from boarding ship

SINGAPORE: Pirates trying to board a ship off Singapore waters were foiled by an alert crew in the third pirate attack in a week, officials said on Thursday.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the crew of the Cayman Islands-registered Pilion, a bulk carrier traveling from South Africa to the city-state, spotted two or three boats approaching.

When a man from one of the boats tried to board, the shipmaster told the 19-strong crew to investigate, prompting the pirate to jump into the sea, according to an MPA statement. No one was hurt in Tuesday's incident.

The two earlier strikes involving pirates with long knives prompted the MPA to warn shippers to heighten vigilance against attacks.

The Marshall Islands-registered bulk carrier Cape Haralambos and the Turkey-registered container ship Border were the targets. -- DPA