The seven Sri Lankan members of the hijacked ship Sarallo, now anchored near Somalia, telephoned their families in Sri Lanka on Thursday. The vessel, skippered by a Sri Lankan, had six other Lankan crew members on board in addition to four filippinos.

She was hijacked by Somalian pirates a fortnight ago when en route to Dubai from Oman.

The Lankan crew told their families that they were in good health and were being looked after well. The hijackers had allowed each crew member only one minute to speak to their families.

Meanwhile, talks have already begun between the pirates and the New Zealand owners of the vessel to free the crew and the cargo. The local agents of the ship New Oceanic said that this would take at least a month before the ship owners and the pirates reach an agreement on the release of the crew and cargo.

The New Zealand owners have agreed to pay the ransom demanded by the pirates but details of any ransom demand were not yet known.