Hanoi: All 16 crew have been rescued from the Panama-registered Bitu Gulf ship which sank off Phang Rang in Vietnamese waters earlier this week. An Evergreen containership picked up the crew and is taking them to Malaysia, local media said. The 23-year old small tanker was carrying bitumen and was operated by UAE firm Inter Global Shipping.
The demise of the ship marks the end of an unfortunate last few years in its trading life. Bitu Gulf was formerly the Asphalt Venture, which was released by Somali pirates in 2011. Seven crew are still being held in Somalia from that hijacking, OceanusLive.org told SeaShip News. [21/01/14]
