No word on abducted sailors

A resolution of the hostage crisis involving seven Indian sailors of the ship MV Asphalt Venture evaporated on Sunday after Somali pirates released the ship and eight crew members on Saturday for $3 million (Rs14 crore).

A resolution of the hostage crisis involving seven Indian sailors of the ship MV Asphalt Venture evaporated on Sunday after Somali pirates released the ship and eight crew members on Saturday for $3 million (Rs14 crore).

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The pirates refused to respond to communications from the shipping company a day after a deal was struck.

Expressing disappointment over the pirates reneging on their promise to release the entire crew, owners of the Asphalt Venture — OMCI Ship Management appealed to the pirates to release the remaining crew members.

"The vessel is in Somali waters and the eight members are manning it but we haven't received any such communication from our released crew members," said Sunil Puri, the company's media consultant.

The government remained tight-lipped on the decisions of the high-level emergency meeting on Saturday.

"Due to the sensitivity of the issue, nothing can be said at this moment. These pirates may have their sources even here and they might come to know about what we say," a senior official present at Saturday's meeting said.