Pirate shots ignites tanker

Pirate shots ignites tanker    Fears that piracy off the Horn of Africa could lead to an environmental disaster came a bit closer to reality Wednesday when the crew of the Liberian-flagged supertanker Brilliante Virtuoso abandoned ship to escape a fire in the superstructure that began during an attack by Somali pirates, the Combined Maritime Forces headquarters said in a statement.
   The fully laden 149,000-deadweight-ton tanker was attacked at 6 a.m. about 20 nautical miles southwest of the Yemen port city of Aden.
   The 26-member Filipino crew issued a distress call and left the ship in life rafts. The USS Philippine Sea rescued the sailors, but found no evidence of pirates by the time it arrived, the statement said.
   CMF, a 25-member coalition established to provide maritime security between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, said smoke was observed coming from the superstructure that houses the crew.

Brilliante Virtuoso

   A statement provided by Athens-based ship operator Central Mare Inc. indicated tug and salvage crews have brought the fire under control and are continuing to spray water on the vessel to help cool down the structure. It said the fire was the result of a blast from a rocket-propelled grenade fired by pirates in an effort to force the vessel to stop.
   Maritime industry publication Fairplay reported Wednesday evening that the salvage team brought the fire under control, but Central Mare said flames reignited in the accommodation area overnight. The fire was put out again, it said.
   No spill or injury has been reported.
   Read more about the escalation of violence due to Somali piracy ('Hard targets') in the July American Shipper. ' Eric Kulisch