Mumbai:
Twenty one Indian crew members are on board an oil tanker which has been hijacked today off the coast of Oman.
The vessel, MV Fairchem Bogey, was hijacked while it was at the Salalah anchorage, a statement issued by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) said.
The statement, however, did not mention who the hijackers were.
Though the Marshall Island-flagged vessel usually carries oil or chemicals, the DGS did not offer any detail about the cargo.
The statement said the vessel was managed by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (I), Mumbai and the Directorate had informed the Indian Navy, the British Maritime Organisation and other concerned agencies.
In the past one year, the Gulf of Aden, which is close to the port of Salalah, has been witnessing repeated hijacking of ships by Somali pirates.