Chinese cargo ship fights off pirates with beer bottles

From Xinhua:

Lagos, May 18, (Xinhua reporter Cao Kai) “An Ze Jiang” cargo ship belongs to China COSCO shipping Co. Ltd. (China Ocean Shipping Company) was attacked by pirates on May 16 evening when waiting to unloading its cargos outside of the port in Lagos. The entire crew spared no effort in fighting back and successfully repulsed the pirates. Including the captain, 4 crew members were injured, currently in good condition and being treated in the hospital.

On May 18, reporter met with the injured crew members at Lagos Lagoon hospital. Captain Liu Xinjun said, 8:28 pm local time on May 16, the stern security officer found two unidentified small boats quickly approaching “An Ze Jiang”. Then the cargo ship was under fire by eight pirates’ shotguns and automatic rifles. Small boats approached. With the cover of heavy fire, pirates used aluminum alloy ladders with hooks latching onto the side of the ship, attempted to board the ship. The entire 28 crew members of “An Ze Jiang” used lots of beer bottles, bricks of wood and fire hoses to fight back, and successfully removed the pirates’ hooks, prevented them from getting onto the ship.

Liu Xinjun said the two pirate boats launched the second round of the attacks, with the cover of the assault rifles the boats got close to the side of the ship. In order to avoid casualties, crew members who were fighting on deck retried back to the living area of the ship, and used its good position to continue resist. During the fight, the bridge windshields were broken by shotgun bullets, and the cross bar above the cables at the stern of the ship were shot down. Liu Xinjun, political commissar Liu Zhengfang and two other crew members were injured.

Because of crew member’s strong resistance, the pirates retreated at around 10 pm.

Chinese consul General in Lagos, Guo Kun went to the hospital to visit the injured members on May 18, and also paid condolences to the rest of the crew on “An Ze Jiang” docked at the Apapa Port. Guo Kun talked with the head of the Nigeria maritime security at Apapa Port, urged them to take more precautions, and to try harder in improving security around the port to avoid similar incidents from happening again.