sailor

The Romanian sailor injured during Wednesday’s crew takeover of the merchant vessel RIM, formerly held by Somali pirates, successfully underwent surgery Thursday, Foreign Ministry officials told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romanian Virgil Teofil Cretu, crew member of the Libyan-owned merchant vessel RIM, hijacked in February by Somali pirates, was severely injured Wednesday, as the ship’s crew regained control of the vessel, former chair of Romania’s agency for rescuing human lives at sea Dorel Onaca said Wednesday.

The Romanian sailor onboard the ship Rim, which was captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, on February 2, telephonically announced his girlfriend that the pirates are threatening to kill him Friday if the ransom is not paid.

Two Romanian sailors are aboard the UK-flagged ship St. James Park seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, said Adrian Mihalcioiu, International Transporters Federation representative in Romania.

Eight of the eleven Romanian sailors in the crew of Victoria, an Antiguan ship, who were kidnapped Tuesday by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, are from the Romanian city of Constanta, while the rest are from the counties of Prahova, Dambovita and Galati.

A Romanian sailor kidnapped in January in the Niger Delta was released, is in good health and is expected to return to Romania in the following days with the help of the Romanian Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, the Romanian Foreign ministry said in a press release Sunday.

One sailor was reported missing Monday afternoon from aboard a Slovakian ship sailing on the Black Sea, in international waters between Romania and Ukraine.