Tanker seized by pirates off Kenya: Singapore

Pirates seized a liquefied gas tanker 105 miles (165 kilometers) off the coast of Kenya in the Somali Basin, said officials in Singapore, where the ship is registered. The MV York was travelling from Mombasa to Mahe in the Seychelles with 17 crew when pirates commandeered it late on Saturday, the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority said in a statement.

The authority said on Sunday it was working with the ship’s owner, York Maritime Co., and government agencies to recover the ship.

A Turkish warship launched a helicopter to investigate the hijacking, and those in the copter saw pirates with weapons on board the

MV York , the European Union Naval Force said Sunday in a statement. The 5,076 ton

MV York has one German, two Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos in the crew, the EU force said.

Somali pirates are currently holding 19 vessels with 428 hostages, according to the EU force.