Captain moves crew to citadel, thwarts pirate assault on India-bound vessel

Afte
b i gi g
all
c ew
membe s
i to
the
‘citadel’,
the
maste
of
the
Golde
A se al
sought
help
f om
the
I dia
Navy,
which
espo ded
swiftly
to
the
dist ess
call
(Rep ese tative
image)

NEW
DELHI:
O
July
1,
a
attack
by
pi ates
o
a
I dia-bou d
bulk
ca ie ,
Golde
A se al,
i
the
Gulf
of
Ade
was
foiled
afte
the
captai
moved
all
c ew
membe s,
i cludi g
a
I dia
seafa e ,
i to
the
vessel’s
“citadel”
a d
sought
assista ce
f om
the

I dia
Navy.A
citadel
is
a
fo tified
safe
oom
with
esse tial
supplies
such
as
food
a d
wate ,
as
well
as
commu icatio
equipme t,
whe e
c ew
membe s
ca
take
efuge
du i g
a
pi ate
attack.
The
pi ates
failed
to
b each
the
citadel
a d
eve tually
fled
the
vessel.Sha i g
this
i cide t
at
the
Natio al
Po t
Secu ity
Co fe e ce
this
week,
Captai
Vik am
Si gh
Ma has,
deputy
autical
advise
at
DGMA
(ma itime
egulato ),
u ged
all
c ew
membe s
a d
maste s
to
emai
vigila t
a d
follow
p eve tive
measu es
p esc ibed
u de
best
ma ageme t
p actices
(BMP),
amid
a
ise
i
pi acy
i cide ts.Fou
vessels
a e
held
hostage
by
Somali
pi ates
at
p ese t,
th ee
of
which
have
I dia
c ew
membe s
aboa d.O e
of
the
vessels
has
o e
I dia
seafa e ,
while
the
othe
two
have
five
a d
11
I dia
c ew,
espectively.Highlighti g
the
sig ifica ce
of
p eve tio
i
such
cases,
Ma has
said
that
o ce
a
vessel
is
held
by
pi ates,
eve ythi g
is
depe de t
upo
the
egotiatio s
with
the
pi ates
a d
that
the
gove me t
is
wo ki g
to
e su e
the
safe
elease
of
I dia
seafa e s.

I
the
di ectio
of
e su i g
thei
safety,
the
gove me t
is
set
to
lau ch
a
dashboa d
o
August
15
to
t ack
eve y
I dia
seafa e
o
a y
ship.
Additio ally,
shippi g
a d
po ts
mi iste
Sa ba a da
So owal
Satu day
lau ched
e-Samud a,
a
digital
platfo m
i teg ati g
se vices
fo
seafa e s,
shippi g
compa ies,
po ts
a d
othe
ma itime
stakeholde s,
a d
said,
“Eve y
I dia
seafa e
must
be
safe,
espected
a d
suppo ted
as
I dia
st e gthe s
its
positio
as
a
global
ma itime
powe .”