Beijing: The China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (MSA) has denied reports of a Chinese-flagged commercial ship being hijacked by Somali pirates off the Yemeni coast.
The Xinhua news agency quoted a MSA official as confirming that the organisation had made contacts with the ship and found that the "Tien Hau" ship and its 22-member crew, are safe.
He further said that a suspicious boat had followed the ship for a while, but it was never attacked or hijacked.
Earlier on Saturday, the Yemeni Interior Ministry had said the ship was hijacked by pirates some 20 kilometres off the Yemeni island of Al-Tair off the city port of al-Hudaida, and was heading towards the Somali coast. [07/02/11]
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