Latest: Families plead for Somali pirates to release ship's crew

Latest: Families of the Sri Lankan crew members held captive on an oil tanker are appealing to Somali pirates to release the men unharmed.

Update 1.50pm: Families of the Sri Lankan crew members held captive on an oil tanker are appealing to Somali pirates to release the men unharmed.

The hijacking on Monday was the first such seizure of a large commercial vessel off Somalia since 2012.