Somali pirates drown with ransom share

Five Somali pirates who released a Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a reported $3m (€2.2m) ransom after their small boat capsized.

Pirate Daud Nure said the boat with eight people on board overturned in a storm after dozens of pirates left the Sirius Star following a two-month stand-off in the Gulf of Aden.

He said three people reached shore after swimming for several hours.

Nure was not part of the pirate operation but knew those involved.

Haradhere resident Jamal Abdulle confirmed that the boat sank. Haradhere is a Somali coastal town close to where the ship was anchored.

He said the eight pirates’ portion of the ransom money was lost. It was shared between dozens of pirates.