Chief officer of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program Andrew Mwangura told Itar-Tass the crew of the chemical carrier is mixed and consists of 26 sailors from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, the Philippines, Poland, India and Turkey.
The tanker was hijacked on Monday, Mwangura also said.
Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, said the St. James Park tanker issued a distress message late Monday, seeking help after it was attacked by pirates.
According to Sky News, the distress call was picked up by the Greece rescue and coordination center in Piraeus, which in turn relayed the message to the International Maritime Bureau and other agencies.
According to Bulgarian news website Novinite.com, there are five Bulgarians among the 26-member crew.