A violent pirate attack on a containership in the Gulf of Guinea has left one crewman dead, maritime security consultancy Dryad Global has confirmed.
The attack on the Liberian-flagged Mozart occurred at a point approximately 98 nautical miles off Sao Tome at 05:25 UTC on Saturday, January 23.
The vessel was sailing from Lagos to Cape Town when the unauthorised boarding occurred, resulting in the death of a crewman who was later identified as an Azerbaijani national.
The pirates soon after departed the area with 15 of Mozart's crew as hostages.
Only three of the containership's crew remained on board following the attack. The incident had left of one them with shrapnel wounds and another with an injured leg.
Despite their own injuries, the crew were able to steer the vessel towards Gabon, where it was met by local authorities on Sunday, January 24.
Shipowner Borealis Maritime and technical manager Boden Denizcilik have confirmed that they are working with local authorities and other advisors to establish communication with the kidnappers and ensure the safe release of the 15 hostages.