London: Pirates have attacked a Monrovia-flagged oil tanker off the coast of the West African country of Benin, killing one seaman, officials said Tuesday.??According to Benin's naval forces, the attack on the 230-meter long Cancale Star took place some 18 nautical miles off the country's coast. The vessel's chief engineer, a Ukrainian, was killed in the attack, which also left four other crew members injured.??Local reports indicated that Benin's naval forces has escorted the tanker to the port of Cotonou, where it is currently berthed. It is understood that the crew of the vessel managed to capture one of the pirates and have handed him over to authorities in Benin.??The chief of Benin's naval forces were quoted by local news agencies as saying that an investigation has been launched into the attack. Though the nationality of the pirates who attacked the Cancale Star is not clear, officials said there were indications that they were from Nigeria.??The attack follows a recent warning from the International Maritime Bureau that piracy is on the rise along the coastline of oil-rich west Africa, with at least a 100 such cases reported last year. [25/11/09]
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