Rumours of sailors' release give short-lived joy to family

CHENNAI: Rumours that Indian sailors on board hijacked British ship St James Park have been released gave a solace to the families of two sailors from Chennai, but their relief was short-lived, as the ship's London-based owner Zodiac Maritime clarified that negotiations were still in the early stages.
Eleven Indians are among 26 crew members of two ships hijacked by Somalian pirates around New Year.Tanker vessel St James Park, with 26 crew members including six Indians, was hijacked from the Gulf of Aden on December 29, while vehicle carrier Asian Glory was hijacked 600 miles off the Somalian coast on January 1, with 25 crew members including five Indians on board. The ships, both owned by Zodiac, have been anchored off the port of Hobyo in Somalia.
Around 11 am on Friday, the families of two sailors from the Chennai one in Royapuram and the other in Velachery got calls from known people saying that a television channel has reported that the sailors have been released. "The company had warned us against rumours, but it made me hope that the news is true," wife of a sailor told TOI. "After a couple of hours, the Mumbai office of the shipping company called us to say that the sailors are safe and unharmed, but it is too early to say when they would be released," said a relative of the other sailor. The relatives of the sailors have requested their identities may not be revealed till they hear from their dear ones.
Zodiac Maritime on Friday said on its website that the company has been in contact with the pirates. "We are working towards the quick and safe return of our crew and the ships," it said. A Bulgarian website has reported that the pirates had allowed some of the Bulgarian crew (there are 15 of them on board the two vessels) to talk to their families.
Meanwhile, sources in the Directorate General, Shipping and anti-piracy experts told TOI that the previous experiences show that the Somalian pirates are hard bargainers who delay negotiations for several weeks. "It could take a couple of weeks to get the negotiations on stream. The pirates usually decide the pace of the talks, but they seldom harm their captives" said a senior officer at DG Shipping.