Vilnius - A Lithuanian ship came under attack from pirates off the West African coast and five crew members have been taken hostage, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday.

The attack took place on Monday off the Nigerian coast in the vicinity of the Escravos river in the western Niger Delta, a statement said.

"Five crew members who are Lithuanian citizens were taken hostage and removed to an unknown location in a high-speed boat," the ministry said.

Available information suggested the crew members seized by the pirates from the ship Saturnas had not been injured. Nine other crew members were reported to be still aboard the vessel which had not sustained damage.

The Saturnas is a refrigerated vessel built in Japan in 1982 but operated by Lithuania's Limarko Shipping Company.

Families of the crew have been informed but the ministry and the owners of the ship said there would be no further comment owing to the "sensitivity" of the situation.

The Niger Delta is a region renowned for lawlessness and banditry, though recently pirate attacks have been associated more with Somalia on the Horn of Africa than Nigeria.(dpa)