MV Golden Nori

The MV Golden Nori[1] is a Japanese chemical tanker that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia on 28 October 2007. In news reports, she has at times been mistakenly referred to as the Golden Nory and Golden Mori. At the time of the hijacking the 23 person crew was composed of citizens of South Korea, the Philippines, and Myanmar.[2] One of the South Korean crew members successfully escaped soon after being taken hostage.[3][4]

MV Golden Nori comes alongside USS Whidbey Island for refueling following its release from Somalia-based pirates
History
Panama
OperatorDorval Kaiun Shipping
BuilderFukuoka Shipbuilding, Japan
Launched27 November 1996
Completed10 March 1997
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and typechemical tanker
Tonnage11,676 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
Length117 m (LOA)
Beam20 meters
Draft8.75 meters
Speed13 knots (24 km/h)
Capacity20 cargo tanks accommodating 78,884 barrels total
Crew28

History

Golden Nori, which operates under a Panamanian flag, was reportedly seized by Somali pirates eight nautical miles off the coast of the East African nation. A radio distress call sent by the crew late on October 28 was received by the USS Porter. The United States Navy responded, sinking the pirates' skiffs.[5] A few days later Capt. Restituto Bulilan was allowed to phone his family and the ship's owners to indicate that the crew was safe.[2]

At the time she was hijacked, the cargo of the Golden Nori consisted of four different chemicals, including highly flammable benzene.[5]

US and German naval vessels shadowed the captured vessel and blockaded from entering the port of Bosaso. Eventually, after demanding a ransom, the pirates freed the ship and its crew of 21 on December 12.

References
  1. Dorval Shipping, Inc. Archived 2007-10-31 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Crew of Ship Hijacked off Somalia is Safe, Captain Tells Japanese Owner". Irrawaddy Publishing Group. Associated Press. 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  3. "Somali Pirates Release Korean Sailor". chosun.com. ChosunMedia. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  4. "Seized Crew of Japan Tanker Believed Safe". Washington Post. Associated Press. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  5. "With Help, Ship Crew Defeats Pirates". Associated Press. 2007-10-31. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2007-11-01. Note that this article's title refers to a different incident.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.