Bangladesh’s KSRM Group has still received no contact from Somali gunmen who hijacked its bulker Abdullah last Tuesday in the Indian Ocean.
The 58,000-dwt, 2015-built supramax has been taken towards the coast of Somalia, but no demands have been issued by the pirates.
The Dhaka Tribune cited the company’s media adviser, Mizanul Islam, as telling reporters: “All sailors aboard the hijacked ship are in good health.
“A sailor contacted the owners on Saturday night to update them on their condition. However, food supplies on board are depleting rapidly, as the pirates are sharing meals with the sailors.”
The group said it is working to ensure the safe return of the 23 Bangladeshi crew members, whose families say they had been told the gunmen have asked for a $5m ransom.
The seafarers said their lives have been threatened unless the pirates receive money.
Shahanur Begum, the mother of the Abdullah’s chief officer, Atiq Ullah Khan, told the Bangla Tribune he is the sole wage earner in the family.
“His pregnant wife fell ill due to the stress of his captivity and had to be hospitalised. We are deeply worried about our son and hope the government takes swift action to secure their release,” she added.
The Abdullah was carrying coal from Mozambique to Dubai.
Steel group KSRM, which operates its ships through its SR Shipping unit, has been liaising with the vessel’s insurer, the West of England club, over a release of the hostages.
