Mumbai, Feb. 4 (TNS): A Panama-flag merchant ship with 22 Indian crew members, including two from Kerala, went missing from Benin Coast of West Africa, Indian media reported on Sunday.
The owners of tanker ship MT Marine Express, which was loaded with gas oil, have sought the help of the directorate general of shipping in Mumbai to get in touch with their counterparts in Nigeria and Benin to carry out search operations for the merchant ship.
B R Shekar, chief surveyor who holds additional charge as director general of shipping, Mumbai, told TOI: “The owners of the ship lost contact with their tanker, MT Marine Express, on February 1 when it was in Cotonou anchorage at Benin. We have informed Nigerian authorities and the coast guard there to carry out search for the missing ship. Till Saturday, there was no trace of the ship. The owners and the manning agent from Mumbai had alerted us about the missing ship,” said Shekar.
A DG shipping official said the fate of the crew members and the ship is not known.
The ship vanished from West Africa and a possibility of hijack is high. Meanwhile, Nigerian authorities have alerted all boats to look out for the missing tanker ship and if sighted to report to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Anti-Piracy Reporting Centre immediately in London.
