Aussies under attack as pirates fire at liner

07nov05
PIRATES armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns managed at least one hit on a cruise liner they tried to hijack off the African coast yesterday.



At least 19 Australians were on board the Spirit cruiser when it was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia around 5.30am yesterday, Queensland time.

The pirates approached the Seabourn Cruise Line ship in two small boats, fired at the 10,000 tonne vessel and tried to board it in an apparent bid to rob passengers and crew.

Cruise Line spokesman Bruce Good said the ship managed to escape and no passengers were hurt.

A passenger said one of the rockets fired by the pirates hit the ship. "I looked out of the window and saw a small boat with about five people in it about 20 yards (18 metres) away," said passenger Norman Fisher, 55.

"They were firing the rifle and then fired the rocket launcher twice. One of the rockets certainly hit the ship. It went through the side of the liner into a passenger´s suite."

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said the US-owned Spirit, carrying more than 300 people, was now heading for the Seychelles.

"All of the Australians are OK. There was only one crew member that was injured, I don´t know how seriously," Mr Downer said.

"I´ve sent a consular officer from Mauritius to the Seychelles to meet the ship so that the Australians on board the ship. . . will have the opportunity to meet with our consul and we can provide any assistance they might need."

The ship was on the second last day of a 16-day cruise from Alexandria in Egypt to Mombassa in Kenya.

During the mayhem, the 161-member crew gathered the 151 passengers into a central lounge away from windows and decks, Mr Good said.

Andrew Mwangura, program co-ordinator for the Seafarers´ Association in neighbouring Kenya, said: "The captain managed to change the course of the vessel and speed away. Most of the passengers are believed to be Americans or Western Europeans. No one was hurt."

"There were some windows broken, nothing that affected seaworthiness," Mr Good said. "The crew did an excellent job and those guys gave up. . . Those guys didn´t plan this too well."

The Indian Ocean waters off the Somali coast are classed as among the most dangerous in the world. Typically, pirates target freighters that carry only a handful of crew members.

Seabourn´s headquarters is in Miami and is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, the world´s largest cruise group.

Mr Fisher said the captain tried to ram one of the boats in an attempt to capsize it and stop the pirates from getting aboard.

"The captain didn´t sound the usual alarm because he was worried that people would run up on the deck thinking it was a fire, and that would be the worst place to be," he said.

"Instead he made an announcement at five past six, saying: ´Stay inside, stay inside, we are under attack´."

Mr Good said the Spirit´s passengers included 48 Americans, 22 from the United Kingdom, 21 Canadians, 19 Germans, 19 Australians and six South Africans. The others were mostly from other European nations. He said authorities in the US, UK and the Seychelles were investigating the attack.

Hijackers have commandeered two vessels used by the UN World Food Program this year and ship owners now demand armed escorts, the agency said.


[link to www.thecouriermail.news.com.au]

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