Nine crew members have been abducted following a pirate attack on the LPG carrier CGAS Saturn off the coast of Equatorial Guinea.
Maritime security firm Vanguard reported that the Portugal-flagged vessel was targeted in the Gulf of Guinea, roughly 50 nautical miles west of Mbini. According to the firm, pirates kidnapped nine seafarers, leaving four crew members onboard, one of whom sustained injuries. Those remaining on the vessel were identified as the second captain, third captain, a deck officer, and an oiler.
Initial early reports had suggested that up to 12 crew members were taken, with only one left on the ship.
The CGAS Saturn, operated by Christiania Gas, the gas shipping subsidiary of Eitzen Group’s Christiania Shipping, was confirmed to have been attacked while sailing toward Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. Christiania Shipping stated that the vessel has since moved to safe waters, adding that one of the remaining seafarers suffered minor injuries.
“Christiania Gas is deeply troubled by the attack on its vessel and crew. Our top priority is establishing contact with the abducted seafarers to ensure their safe and prompt release,” the company said in a statement.
The company reported that its emergency response team is coordinating closely with relevant authorities and maintaining communication with the families of the kidnapped crew.
While piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has declined in recent years after reaching alarming levels around the mid-2010s, incidents continue. The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre recorded four attacks near Equatorial Guinea in 2024, including one involving the abduction of two crew members from a general cargo ship.
In another incident on March 17, armed pirates boarded the Panama-flagged Bitu River and took 10 crew members hostage, including the captain and chief engineer.
