In pirate season, tension in Saurashtra as no word from three Gujarat ships

In the port town of Salaya on the Saurashtra coast, all ears are tuned to news from the Gulf of Aden where Somali pirates are calling the shots,boarding ships and holding crewmen hostage for ransom.At least three ships from Gujarat have gone“missing”in the region with 15 men from Salaya.Though the ship owners and Gujarat maritime board officials believe that bad weather may be behind the loss of contact with the ships, there are growing fears in Salaya that their men may have run into Somali pirates.

The three ships — Shiv Shambhu (it sailed from Mumbai on October 3), Bashir and Zuber — carrying sugar and rice were headed for ports on the African coast. There is talk in Salaya that Shiv Shambhu may have been boarded by pirates near Ras Hafun on the Somalia coast and people are counting on naval deployment in the region to bring word on the Gujarat ships.

The Mandvi-Kutch Vahanvata Association of seafarers is not sure whether it is the pirates or bad weather that is responsible for the radio silence. But the MKVA is willing to wait and so is Ashok Bhanushali, owner of Shiv Shambhu. “It could be the weather. We are not sure if there are looters or pirates on board the ship.

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