A cargo vessel, which had been held by armed Somali pirates for nearly three years, has sunk in rough seas.

The Albedo sank during Saturday night with the captured 15-man crew appearing to be kept onboard by the pirates – a situation that could have been avoided since the vessel was equipped with lifeboats.

Since the ship was taken in November 2010, it had suffered significant mechanical and structural issues, and coupled with recent bad weather during the South West monsoon, it sank in relatively shallow waters off the Somali coast.

A statement from the Secretariat for Regional Maritime Security said it is believed that when the vessel got in to difficulty, pirates from a nearby pirated fishing vessel, Naham 3, (which is currently astern of the Albedo), made attempts to move the Albedo hostages to Naham 3.

The status of the crew of the Albedo remains uncertain at this time but it said that some speculative media reports have caused significant anguish amongst the crew’s families as they await any information about their loved ones.

The SRMS, along with the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response programme (MPHRP), and other organisations, is working with the Somali Government, regional administrations and local leaders to try and determine the precise details and status of the crew so as to be able to tell the families.

Source: Ship Management International