Mumbai, April 12 (Inditop.com) A cargo ship with 26 crew members, including 11 Indians, was hijacked near Seychelles while en route to Zanzibar on Sunday, a maritime authority said here Monday.

The vessel, M.V. Rak Afrikana bearing the flag of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, is owned by M/s. Rak Africana Shipping Ltd, United Arab Emirates, according to a statement by the Directorate-General of Shipping (DGS) here.

As per information available with the DGS, the vessel, carrying general cargo, is believed to have been taken to Somalia on the east coast of Africa by the pirates.

The 11 Indians onboard the ship include the captain, second and third officers and eight cadets, while the remaining crew members are 10 Tanzanians and five Pakistanis, the DGS said.

The UAE-based company has said that efforts are on to secure the safe release of the crew and it is keeping the DGS updated on the developments.