Pirates attack cruise liner

2005-11-05 19:29

London - Pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade and machine guns on Saturday in an attack on the luxury cruise liner Seabourn Spirit off the coast of the east African nation of Somalia, the vessel's owners said.

One crew member was slightly injured before the attackers were repulsed, Seabourn Cruises said. The 10 000-ton vessel was only slightly damaged.

The Bahamas-registered Seabourn Spirit, which is carrying more than 300 passengers, was 160 kilometres off Somalia when the attack took place early on Saturday, said Seabourn Cruises spokesperson David Dingle.

"The ship's crew immediately initiated a trained response and as a result of protective and evasive measures taken the occupants of the small craft were unable to gain access to the ship," Dingle said.

Dingle said the company had no reason to believe it was a terrorist attack and all the evidence pointed to pirates, who have been active in the area in recent days.

Press Association, the British news agency, said passengers were woken by the sound of gunfire on Saturday as 7.5-metre inflatable boats approached the liner and started shooting as their occupants tried to get on aboard.

The injured crew member was reportedly hit by flying debris.

Seabourn Cruises said the Seabourn Spirit was on a 16-day cruise out of Alexandria in Egypt and was on its way to Mombasa in Kenya when it was attacked.

Dingle said the crew managed to remain calm, but "the passengers were somewhat surprised and shocked because it happened at 05:30 in the morning and they were woken", he explained.

"The passengers were mustered in a public room, told what was going on and reassured that we were fighting off the attack. They were shocked but no passengers were injured whatsoever."

The ship will no longer stop at Mombasa and will end the cruise in the Seychelles on Monday, he said.

- AP