File photo used for representation

NEW DELHI: Eighteen Indians on board a Hong Kong-flagged vessel were kidnapped by pirates near the Nigerian coast, said a global agency tracking maritime developments in the region.

Official sources said following the reports of kidnapping of the Indians, the country's mission in Nigeria has approached the African nation's authorities for help to ascertain the details and rescue the abducted Indians.

According to ARX Maritime, which tracks movements of ships, said on its website that the ship was taken over by pirates on Tuesday and 19 people on board the vessel were kidnapped out of which 18 were Indians.

