A warship will arrive Saturday morning to help a Chinese ship attacked by pirates in the northern Indian Ocean, the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (CMSRC) said Friday.

Twenty-six Chinese crew aboard the Lecong, belonging to COSCO Shipping Co., Ltd., had fought off the pirates, said Zhai Jiugang, director of the CMSRC chief duty room.

The center received a call for help at 9:30 PM Thursday, Zhai said.

The center dispatched a warship from escort duty in the Gulf of Aden at 9:45 PM Thursday. It was expected to meet with the Lecong at 10:20 AM Saturday.

One of the 26 crew members was injured in the fight, Zhai said.

Vessels should pay more attention to safety as the area had reported a series of pirate attacks recently, Zhai warned.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2010)