The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Monday that the 19 Chinese sailors hijacked by pirates in waters of the Gulf of Aden were reported to be safe.

The MPA said that it received reports around noon local time on Monday that a Singapore-registered petroleum/chemical tanker, M.T. Golden Blessing, was hijacked by pirates while transiting the Gulf of Aden.

"There are 19 crew, all Chinese nationals, on board the vessel. The crew were reported to be safe," the MPA said in a statement.

At that time of the incident, the vessel was reported to be on its way from Saudi Arabia to India, passing through the Gulf of Aden.

The MPA said that it is working with relevant government agencies and the ship owner, and is monitoring the situation closely. It added that M.T. Golden Blessing is owned by Golden Pacific International Holdings Pte Ltd and is bareboat chartered out to Shanghai Dingheng Shipping Co Ltd.