The Belgian cargo ship Pompei is taken by pirates in the Indian Ocean north of the Seychelles. The ship, owned by Dredging Environmental & Marine Engineering NV and Jan de Nul Groep NV, is headed towards Somalia with pirates on board, a NATO spokesman said. The ship's 10-man crew consists of one Dutchman, two Belgians, four Croatians, and three Filipinos. The EU's Operation Atalanta is monitoring developments. The 1,800-ton Pompei, whose home port is Bruges, was heading to Durban, South Africa, when it was hijacked 150 nautical miles (278 kilometers) north of the Seychelles Islands and 700 nautical miles east of Somalia, according to Atalanta, which describes the ship as a “stone carrier.” Since then, the empty vessel has been “straight on the way to the Somali coastline,” Atalanta said.The vessel is estimated to arrive at port in Somalia sometime Wednesday. (Bloomberg, 04/19/09)
