FV Ekawat Nava 5
Encyclopedia
FV Ekawat Nava 5 was a hijacked Kiribati
-flagged, Thai
-owned deep sea fishing trawler that was sunk by of the Indian Navy
on 18 November 2008. The trawler sank when a fire broke out on the vessel after INS Tabar retaliated to being fired upon by pirates on board. All but one crew member of the trawler were believed killed.
On the evening of November 18, INS Tabar was on patrol 285 nautical miles (527.8 km) southwest of Salalah
, Oman
(near 14°17.15′N 50°15.7′E), when it spotted the hijacked trawler. The vessel was identified by the frigate as a pirate mother ship, as it had two speed boats in tow and men armed with rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and assault rifles on its deck. The frigate ordered the trawler to be boarded for inspection. Upon being refused and threatened by the pirates, the frigate continued to follow the trawler.
The official account from the Indian Navy states that the pirates fired at the frigate with an RPG. The frigate fired back in retaliation. Explosions were later heard on board the trawler, possibly due to ammunition or fuel stored on its deck. The trawler sank as a result of the fire.
The Indian Navy reported that following the fire on board the vessel, it spotted only the two speed boats fleeing from the scene. It pursued the boats and found one abandoned. It lost track of the other boat in the darkness.
An account of the incident narrated by the Thai representative of its owner, Sirichai Fisheries, based on information provided by a surviving Thai crew member, states that Somali pirates had boarded and just taken control of the trawler when INS Tabar arrived on the scene. The crew member's account stated that the trawler had not been used as a pirate mother ship.
Of the original crew members of the trawler, the one survivor was picked up by a passing merchant vessel, one was later confirmed dead, while 14 others were reported missing by the owner. The crew of INS Tabar reported seeing only the two motor boats fleeing from the scene of the incident in the darkness. They did not spot any of the original crew of the trawler. The fate of the remaining crew was unknown.
An account of the incident from the U.S. Department of State, may have originally stated that the Indian Navy captured some of the pirates. This was however not confirmed by the Indian Navy.
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
-flagged, Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
-owned deep sea fishing trawler that was sunk by of the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
on 18 November 2008. The trawler sank when a fire broke out on the vessel after INS Tabar retaliated to being fired upon by pirates on board. All but one crew member of the trawler were believed killed.
Accounts of the incident
The Ekawat Nava 5 had a crew of 15 Thais and one Cambodian. It was traveling from Oman to Yemen when it was hijacked on November 18 2008.On the evening of November 18, INS Tabar was on patrol 285 nautical miles (527.8 km) southwest of Salalah
Salalah
Salalah , is the capital and seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah was 197,169 in 2009....
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
(near 14°17.15′N 50°15.7′E), when it spotted the hijacked trawler. The vessel was identified by the frigate as a pirate mother ship, as it had two speed boats in tow and men armed with rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and assault rifles on its deck. The frigate ordered the trawler to be boarded for inspection. Upon being refused and threatened by the pirates, the frigate continued to follow the trawler.
The official account from the Indian Navy states that the pirates fired at the frigate with an RPG. The frigate fired back in retaliation. Explosions were later heard on board the trawler, possibly due to ammunition or fuel stored on its deck. The trawler sank as a result of the fire.
The Indian Navy reported that following the fire on board the vessel, it spotted only the two speed boats fleeing from the scene. It pursued the boats and found one abandoned. It lost track of the other boat in the darkness.
An account of the incident narrated by the Thai representative of its owner, Sirichai Fisheries, based on information provided by a surviving Thai crew member, states that Somali pirates had boarded and just taken control of the trawler when INS Tabar arrived on the scene. The crew member's account stated that the trawler had not been used as a pirate mother ship.
Of the original crew members of the trawler, the one survivor was picked up by a passing merchant vessel, one was later confirmed dead, while 14 others were reported missing by the owner. The crew of INS Tabar reported seeing only the two motor boats fleeing from the scene of the incident in the darkness. They did not spot any of the original crew of the trawler. The fate of the remaining crew was unknown.
An account of the incident from the U.S. Department of State, may have originally stated that the Indian Navy captured some of the pirates. This was however not confirmed by the Indian Navy.