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