Chinese boat seized near Kenya
2008-11-14 10:20
Ben Blanchard
Beijing - A Chinese fishing boat with 24
people on board has been seized off the Kenyan coast by
"unidentified persons", China's official Xinhua news agency
said on Friday.
Xinhua, citing a source in China's transport ministry, said
the boat was seized late on Thursday.
"The abductors demanded the Chinese fishing boat sail
towards the coastal area off southern Somalia," the report
said.
The crew consisted of 15 Chinese, one Taiwanese, one
Japanese, three Filipinos and four Vietnamese, it added.
Somali pirates have been causing havoc in one of the
world's busiest shipping areas connecting Europe to Asia and
the Middle East, taking millions in ransoms, forcing up
insurance costs, and threatening humanitarian supplies.
Most attacks have been in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen
and north Somalia, a major route leading to the Suez canal
linking Europe and Asia.
- Reuters