White House "closely monitoring" ship hijacking

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday it was closely monitoring the apparent hijacking of a U.S.-flagged ship in the Indian Ocean and assessing what steps to take to get the crew back safely, a spokesman said.

The Danish-owned container ship, Maersk Alabama, was seized off the Somali coast along with its crew, including some 20 Americans, a company spokesman said.

"The White House is closely monitoring the apparent hijacking of the US-flagged ship in the Indian Ocean and assessing a course of action to resolve this situation," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "Our top priority is the personal safety of the crew members on board."

(Editing by Sandra Maler)