12 Jun 2010

Ship and crew released by pirates

6:39 pm on 12 June 2010

Somali pirates have released a ship and its crew nearly six months after they were seized.

The 45,000-tonne Asian Glory was hijacked 1000km off the Somali coast on 1 January.

The foreign ministry in Bulgaria said the British-flagged vehicle carrier was expected to head for Oman under British escort.

The BBC reports it is not known whether a ransom was paid for the release of the ship and its crew, who were mostly from eastern Europe.