Hostage crew's video surfaces after 26 days in pirate captivity

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A screengrab of a video shows crew members of an Indonesia-flagged vessel held hostage by Somali pirates.

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KARACHI:

A video showing 10 crew members of an Indonesia-flagged vessel held hostage by Somali pirates has surfaced, sparking concern among their families and the public.

In the footage, one of the abducted crew members, Second Officer Hussain Yousuf, is seen appealing to the government for urgent assistance to secure the release of all hostages.

He is flanked by fellow Pakistani crew members as well as Indonesian colleagues, while armed pirates are visible in the background.

Speaking in the video, Yousuf said 26 days had passed since the vessel was seized, adding that the crew remained unaware of any progress in negotiations for their release. He described worsening conditions on board, saying food supplies had been exhausted and the pirates were providing only small portions of rice once every 24 hours. He added that the crew was being forced to drink contaminated water from the ship's tank.