In yet another case of piracy on the high seas, a Turkish-owned and Malta-flagged tanker with 24 crew (all Indians) is believed to have been hijacked off the coast of Gabon in West Africa.

The 184-metre long, 23,248-tonne oil and chemical tanker, MV Cotton, lost contact with its Turkish owner, Geden Line, after leaving Port Gentil in Gabon early on Monday (July 15) morning, an official at Turkey's Foreign Ministry in Ankara said.

"The ship was hijacked during night. All officials were informed about the hijack. Unfortunately, the ship is sailing now. There is no contact with the crew. We are cooperating with Cameroon and Nigeria," Mr Ahmet Riza Demirer, Turkish Ambassador to Gabon, said.

Describing the incident as 'unusual', Geden Line said in a statement: "It is unusual for attacks to occur in this region and, in fact, there have been no reported attacks in the past five years."

Officials at the Directorate-General of Shipping in Mumbai confirmed the incident, and are awaiting further details.

Geden Line said it is in touch with the families of the crew. "The company's priority is the safety of its seafarers and all possible steps to secure their safe return are being taken," it stressed.(Source: Exim)