| |
 |
Piracy hit record level
|
PIRACY on the high seas may sound like a long outdated evil, but there were more attacks and deadly incidents last year than ever before, an international monitoring group said on Thursday.
A record total of 469 attacks on ships at sea, at anchor or in port were recorded in 2000, 56 per cent more than in the previous year, and four and a half times more than were reported in 1991, the International Maritime Bureau said.
The attacks were also more deadly than before, with 72 seafarers killed and 99 injured in 2000, up from three killed and 24 injured the previous year, the bureau said.
Indonesian waters were the most treacherous for seafarers, with around one quarter of the incidents reported, including some of the most violent attacks.
The Malacca Straits meanwhile earned the dubious honour as fastest-growing piracy hotspot, with recorded incidents jumping to 75 in 2000 from two in 1999.
Bangladesh, India, Ecuador and the Red Sea have all also experienced sharp increases in instances of piracy. Only the Singapore Straits saw a downturn in incidents, which fell to five from 14 in 1999. (SD-Agencies)
|
|
|
|
