Three crew taken hostage from a Greek oil tanker off the coast of the West African country of Togo in November, have been freed according to the vessel’s manager.
The tanker, Elka Aristotle, was attacked on Nov. 4 about 18 km (11 miles) from the port of Lome. The pirates fled after kidnapping two Filipinos, one Greek and one Georgian.
The Greek, Georgian and one Filipino hostage were set free. A fourth hostage, a Filipino, died from an illness contracted during captivity.
The released men were safe and were “being debriefed by the local authorities prior to returning home to the Philippines, Greece and Georgia respectively”, the company said.
A full investigation had been launched into the death of the hostage who died.
“It is understood that his demise was not as a result of any actions by those holding the crew hostage but due to illness,” European Products Carriers said in a statement
While piracy has decreased worldwide, West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea is a high-risk area for abductions and armed robbery.
