Somali pirates set 48-hour ultimatum

The wife of the captain of the ship, which was hijacked by armed Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden, tonight said that the pirates have set an ultimatum of 48 hours for paying ransom.

The wife of the captain of the ship, which was hijacked by armed Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden, tonight said that the pirates have set an ultimatum of 48 hours for paying ransom.

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"One of the crew members of the ship called me and broke down. He said the hijackers have given a 48-hour ultimatum and he pleaded me to make arrangements within 48 hours," said Seema Goyal, wife of captain of the ship Prabhat Goyal.

She said she do not know which door to knock and collect the money.

"Assurances don't work. This is the time when I want help from any quarter and solve the matter," she added.

She also urged the Indian government to take more initiatives.

"I have never asked the government to pay ransom. I want the government to take initiatives and pressurise the Japanese government to get our people back home soon," she said.

The seafarers on board M T Stlot Valor have been held hostage by the pirates who hijacked the cargo ship on September 15.

The ship is owned by a Japanese company and managed by Fleet Marine Ltd in Mumbai. The hijackers had earlier demanded a ransom of USD six million for the release of the crew and have now come down to $two million.