Two Security Guards Shot Dead Onboard Spanish Tuna Boat
TWO security guards of the Spanish company Seguribérica died Friday [8 Apr] on board the Spanish tuna fishing vessel, Txori Gorri, while the ship was fishing off the coast of Madagascar, about 90 miles from Port Victoria, Seychelles.
According to sources of the forces and state security bodies, a discussion between the two triggered a shootout in which one of the guards, Juan José Vera Carrillo, shot his partner, Juan Manuel Martinez Marchante, and then committed suicide.
According to the same sources, the ship has remained several hours without government "because the crew was shocked after the altercation" and the assailant was strong in one of the cabins of the boat before committing suicide. The presence of private security in fishing vessels with Spanish flag is usual since there were several pirate attacks in those areas at risk.
"Before he died he was talking to someone in the company, " says a member of the shipping company. "We do not know what has happened, he fired several shots, " he adds.
Indeed, the Txori Gorri ("Robin" in Esukera, Basque language), a ship of Bermeo built in the shipyards of Murueta in 2007 and owned by the company Inpesca, and was attacked by several Somali pirates in 2009. Back then the skipper of the boat, which has thirty crew, was French Ronan Auffret.
The Txori Gorri is one of the first Spanish fishing boats to have private security guards on board. By law, these guards may use weapons of war ammunition less than 12 mm. Today they were three, according to sources with the owner.
It is anticipated that the ship will arrive in Port Victoria with the two bodies around 6am in the morning on Saturday.
Original source: El Pais [Spanish language]
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