Several crew members are missing from an MSC boxship after it was attacked in the Gulf of Guinea.
The ship was targeted 55 miles (88.5 kilometres) south of Cotonou, Benin, shortly after midnight 2 January, according to maritime consultancy Grey Page.
While the vessel wasn’t identified, several press reports point to the 3,000-teu MSC Mandy (built 1993).
Satellite tracking show it is currently in the Gulf of Guinea off Lagos.
"MSC quickly secured the vessel and its cargo and ensured the safety of the remaining seafarers on board," a company spokesman said in a statement.
"Out of respect for the missing crew members and their families, MSC has no further comment for the time being."
It is unclear how many crew members are missing and how many are safe.
While piracy has seen declines in other parts of the world, the Gulf of Guinea is still a problem area with significant underreporting, according to piracy experts.
From what was reported to the International Maritime Bureau, there were 33 incidents in the waters off Nigeria — just east of Benin — in 2017 and 41 through the first three quarters of 2018.
Pirates in West Africa, experts said, generally hijack ships to steal cargo.
