Pirates have attacked the Greek-owned tanker ST NIKOLAS off Oman on Thursday. According to the Shipping Ministry, there is one Greek, a trainee captain, among the crew of the tanker.
According to the British firm Ambrey – Global Maritime Risk Management, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was bound for the Iranian port Bandar-e Jask when it was boarded by four or five gunmen off the coast of Oman, after which the automatic identification system (AIS) was deactivated.
The Athens-Macedonian News Agency spoke with ship owner Empire Navigation, which said that contact with the ship was lost at about 06:30 (Athens time) as it was sailing off the coast of Oman, near Sohar. The tanker’s crew consisted of 19 people, 18 Filipinos and one Greek.
The tanker departed a few days ago from Basrah, Iraq, loaded with 145,000 tons of crude oil bound for Aliaga, Turkiye via the Suez Canal.
The vessel’s charterer is Tupras.
As the management company said, an emergency plan has been activated while all possible efforts are underway to restore communication with the tanker.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
