On Friday, a ship with 22 Indian crew members and 13,500 tons of gasoline went missing in the Gulf of Guinea. India’s Ministry of External Affairs reported the ship went missing after contact was lost on Friday in Benin.
The Gulf of Guinea is known for pirates lurking around and stealing cargo. The merchant ship Marine Express tanker, was managed by the Hong Kong based Anglo Eastern Company. It was last seen in Benin’s water at around 3:30 A.M., on Friday.
The reason behind losing connection with the ship is unknown. However, a search party was sent out with the help of Nigerian and Beninese authorities.
An Anglo Eastern spokesperson said, “We regret that contact has been lost with the vessel, which was the Cotonou Anchorage in Benin, West Africa.”
External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj confirmed the ship was missing on Twitter. Pirates have been an increasing issue at sea especially off the East African coast. The pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea have been increasing in the past couple of months. A total of seven vessels were attacked last year in the Gulf of Guinea.
