6 SA citizens on pirate ship
2005-11-07 07:54
Johannesburg - Six South Africans were among about 300 passengers who survived a weekend pirate attack on a luxury liner bound for Kenya, the Cape Times reported on Monday.
It said the ship's purser declined to name the six South Africans or to reveal which cities they were from.
She did confirm that all 151 passengers and 161 crew were "fine" and that the five-star liner was about to arrive at port in the Seychelles.
One passenger on board the luxury liner, bound for Kenya from Egypt, was slightly injured in the machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenade attack on Saturday.
Five heavily armed men in two boats opened fire on the Spirit just after 05:00 as the liner cruised about 160km off the Somali coast.
According to Seabourn spokesperson Bruce Good, the men then tried to board the ship in a bid to rob passengers and crew.
He said the captain, Sven Erik Pedersen, prevented the men from climbing on board by trying to ram into one of their eight-metre boats.
Instead of sounding the usual alarm, the captain urged the passengers, including the six South Africans, 48 Americans, 21 Canadians, 19 Germans, 19 Australians and 22 from the United Kingdom, to stay inside the central lounge.
He then changed the course of the ship and sped away from the attacking boats.
United States, British and Seychellois authorities are investigating the incident.
- SAPA