ZAGREB/LAS PALMAS, June 19 (Hina) - The ship Benty, with a Croatian crew of seven, docked in Las Palmas on the Canary Islands on Thursday after being seized and detained off the Liberian coast.
ZAGREB/LAS PALMAS, June 19 (Hina) - The ship Benty, with a Croatian
crew of seven, docked in Las Palmas on the Canary Islands on
Thursday after being seized and detained off the Liberian coast.
#L#
Three members of the crew are returning to Split on Friday, while
the rest are staying in Las Palmas for another two days to hand over
duties, Croatian Television said in the evening newscast.
According to Captain Josip Alborghetti, the entire crew is fine
despite health problems in the past few days and are happy to be
coming home.
The Benty was seized by Liberian soldiers off the port of Harper on
May 18. Running from rebels, the troops boarded 1,000 refugees on
the ship, forcing the crew to transport them to Monrovia 220 miles
away.
The Benty sailed in Monrovia on May 20. The crew was deprived of
their passports and held hostage aboard the ship for more than three
weeks.
The ship escaped from Monrovia in the direction of the Canary
Islands in the night between June 6 and 7 as government and rebel
groups clashed heavily, docking in Las Palmas this morning.
(hina) ha