Fate of 'mutiny ship' undecided

Majuro, Marshall Islands (Reuter) - A freighter carrying 500 Chinese in its hold was 'loitering' outside Marshall Islands waters yesterday with its fate still undecided, the US embassy said.

The East Wood was towed to the Marshall Islands on Thursday with armed US coast guards on board after the crew of the vessel apparently mutinied. Coast guard officials were having difficulty finding out what happened to the East Wood after it left Hong Kong in late December because of language barriers with the crew and conflicting accounts given by those on board. Radio transmissions that began last month gave the impression of a pirate attack. Instead, there was evidence of 'mutinous behaviour' among the crew and that the Chinese were being smuggled to Hawaii, officials said.