SLHC contacts British Foreign Office:

Lanka expedites 23 crew members' release

Rafik JALALDEEN

The Sri Lanka High Commission in London has contacted the British Foreign Office to expedite the release of 23 member Lankan crew held hostage by Somalian pirates.

Somalian pirates seized a British Virgin Islands cargo ship carrying a Bermudan flag with 25 crew on board. The ship was seized off the coast of Oman, approximately 120 nautical miles south of Mazera on March 23. The crew of 23 Sri Lankans, a Filipino and a Syrian were aboard the 11,000-ton Bermudan-flagged Talca which was on its way to Iran from Egypt.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the Sri Lanka Embassy in London had a discussion with the British Overseas Territorial Division which handles the affairs of British territories abroad. The Mission also sought assistance to contact the shipping company in Bermuda and expedite release of the 23 Sri Lankan hostages.

"The British Foreign Office pledged support to get the hostages released from the Somalian pirates. They also said they would help contact the shipping company in Bermuda," the spokesperson told the Daily News.