TORM Republican deters pirate attack

Hellerup, 30 September 2011 – TORM Republican yesterday afternoon succeeded in deterring an attack on the vessel by a group of pirates in the Southern Arabian sea.

The Indian Master, his 21 man Indian crew and the four British armed guards are safe and suffered no injuries as they showed great skill in deterring the attack. No pirates were hurt either.

TORM Republican was in open sea at the time of the incident, enroute to Taiwan from Port Suez at Latitude: 11 40 N, Longitude: 063 09 E.

Six pirates in a skiff approached the vessel and opened fire at TORM Republican. As the pirates carried on with their attack, the four guards onboard TORM Republican fired a number of warning shots into the water. This procedure followed closely TORM’s Rules of Engagement. Following this the pirates abandoned their attack.

The vessel and cargo has not suffered any damages and the vessel is continuing its planned voyage.

The next of kin of all the crew members have been notified. The charterer of TORM Republican and all relevant authorities, both domestic and international have also been notified of the incident. “I am relieved and pleased that no TORM employees or any guards suffered injuries,” says Claus U. Jensen, Executive Vice President, Technical Division. “This incident shows that TORM’s decision to use armed guards on all voyages in the area was the right one.”

For further information, please contact: Claus U. Jensen, Executive Vice President, Technical Division (mob. +45 2360 8455) or Jakob Risom, Press Officer, (mob. +45 2449 3417).

About TORM
TORM is one of the world’s leading carriers of refined oil products as well as a significant participant in the dry bulk market. The Company runs a fleet of approximately 140 modern vessels, principally through cooperation with other respected shipping companies who share TORM’s commitment to safety, environmental responsibility and customer service.

TORM was founded in 1889. The Company conducts business worldwide and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. TORM’s shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen (ticker: TORM) and on NASDAQ in New York (ticker: TRMD). For further information, please visit www.torm.com.

TORM, press release