| The crew members of the Chinese cargo ship Zhenhua 4 and guests pose for cameras during a commendation ceremony at Changxing Island Port in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 23, 2009. Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Co. Ltd held a commendation ceremony here on Friday, and rewarded 30 of its seamen with 10,000 U.S. dollars each for their bravery and courage. Nine pirates armed with rocket launchers and heavy machine guns boarded the ship in the Gulf of Aden on Dec. 17. The crew locked themselves in cabins, using fire hoses and self-made firebombs to keep the attackers at bay for six hours. Foreign warships and helicopters were contacted and helped Chinese seamen beat back the pirates later. No one was injured in the attack. [Xinhua] |
