A Vietnamese crewman was killed when pirates attacked his ship off Singapore’s coast in the early morning of December 7.

The ship VS ASPHALT 2

According to the National Steering Committee for Search and Rescue, the ill-fated victim was shot in the forehead and in a coma when he was airlifted to land for treatment by a Singaporean rescue helicopter.

The ship VS ASPHALT 2 of the Viet Nam Petroleum Transport JSC, with 16 people on board, was pirated just one hour after it left Singapore. The ship was carrying 2,300 tonnes of liquid asphalt.

Fifteen other crew members are safe, reported the committee.