Pirates attack oil tanker off Gujarat coast
GANDHINAGAR: An oil tanker on its way from Antwerp in Belgium to the Jamnagar coast in Gujarat, was attacked by pirates on Friday in mid-sea. The pirates attacked it with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, about 400 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast. The tanker was bringing crude oil for a major refinery in Jamnagar. Indian Coast Guard officers said the pirates may be fromSomalia.
The tanker, however, managed to ward off the pirates and reached Indian waters on Sunday. A major disaster was averted when Gujarat police, aided by the Indian Coast Guard, defused a grenade onboard the Greece-registered MT Agea. The grenade had been fired by the pirates and had not exploded.
The Coast Guard regional headquarters in Gandhinagar was informed about the attack and the impending disaster with the unexploded grenade aboard a tanker full with crude oil. The tanker was asked to anchor outside the Gulf of Kutch, 15 nautical miles off Okha.
A Coast Guard hovercraft reached the vessel with a bomb disposal squad of the Gujarat police. A standby squad from the Indian Navy had also been mobilized. The live grenade was disarmed after a three-hour operation. The vessel was then cleared for her passage to Sikka in Jamnagar.
Gujarat DGP Chittranjan Singh said, "We were asked for help by the Coast Guard in the morning. We sent our bomb disposal squad and helped avert a major disaster."
The tanker, however, managed to ward off the pirates and reached Indian waters on Sunday. A major disaster was averted when Gujarat police, aided by the Indian Coast Guard, defused a grenade onboard the Greece-registered MT Agea. The grenade had been fired by the pirates and had not exploded.
The Coast Guard regional headquarters in Gandhinagar was informed about the attack and the impending disaster with the unexploded grenade aboard a tanker full with crude oil. The tanker was asked to anchor outside the Gulf of Kutch, 15 nautical miles off Okha.
A Coast Guard hovercraft reached the vessel with a bomb disposal squad of the Gujarat police. A standby squad from the Indian Navy had also been mobilized. The live grenade was disarmed after a three-hour operation. The vessel was then cleared for her passage to Sikka in Jamnagar.
Gujarat DGP Chittranjan Singh said, "We were asked for help by the Coast Guard in the morning. We sent our bomb disposal squad and helped avert a major disaster."
(source:the times of india)
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