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An Egytpian ferry carrying about 1,400 people has sunk in the Red Sea

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Don Rizzle:
Egyptian ferry sinks in Red Sea
An Egytpian ferry carrying about 1,400 people, most of them Egyptians, has sunk in the Red Sea.
Bodies have been seen in the water but also survivors in lifeboats.

The al-Salam Boccaccio 98 disappeared shortly after leaving the port of Duba in Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening, bound for Safaga in southern Egypt.

The ship was last recorded as being 100km (62 miles) from Duba. Rescue boats and helicopters are searching the area, but the weather is poor.

The ship was carrying 1,310 passengers and 96 Egyptian crew, Jan Maher, a spokesman for the ship's Egyptian company, el-Salam Maritime Transport, told the BBC.


Most of the passengers are Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia although some are thought to be pilgrims returning from Mecca.
There were about 100 people from other countries, including Saudis and Somalis, Capt Maher said.

"We don't know how many casualties there are or how the ship sank," he said.

The al-Salam Boccaccio 98 is 30 years old.

The head of administration at el-Salam Maritime Transport, Adel Shukri, said he was not aware of any SOS from the crew.

The ship had been due to arrive at Safaga at about 0300 local time (0100 GMT).

Four Egyptian frigates are looking for survivors, Egypt's minister of transport, Mohammed Lutfy Mansour, said.

"The Coast Guard is doing every in its power to try to rescue these people," he said.

Britain has sent the warship HMS Bulwark to help and it will arrive in a day-and-a-half, the Royal Navy said.


 This is not the first and not the last incident that we will see with ferries in this region
Vadim Smith, Brussels, Belgium 

A spokesman for the Egyptian embassy in London, Ayman al-Kaffas, said there was "a vast area of water" for the rescue operation to cover.

Asked about the delay in the disappearance being reported, he said the rescue operation had started just after midnight, within an hour or an hour-and-a-half of the ship going missing.

Shipping expert Paul Beaver told the BBC that overloading should not have been a problem as the vessel had a capacity of 1,400.

There was a possibility one or more of the vehicles the ship was transporting could have moved, particularly in bad weather, he said.

A sister ship of the al-Salam 98 sank in the Red Sea in October after a collision. Two people were killed and 40 injured.


If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC, send us your comments using the form below:

There are police all around Duba. You would have thought there was a terrorist incident. The place is going crazy. Hopefully, they can recover as many survivors as they can.
Nick Clarke, Duba, Saudi Arabia


This is not the first and not the last incident that we will see with ferries in this region. It is a shame that modern technology cannot be used to improve rescue efforts in such cases as surely it is available but as ever, lack of funding results not only in accidents but in delaying any rescue efforts that maybe initiated.
Vadim Smith, Brussels, Belgium


This will shock many people throughout the Arab and Muslim world, because not only were people from Egypt coming from Saudi Arabia from their place of work but many were also returning from the holy pilgrimage of Hajj.
Ahmed Abdulla, Isleworth, London, UK



Most people using that route are coming back from the Hajj with heavy loads of luggage and mostly families of Egyptian workers from their Eid holidays and street vendors or suppliers.
Mohamed T. Mahagoub, Shrewsbury - Uk


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Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4676916.stm

Published: 2006/02/03 12:26:18 GMT

Kassem:
shit 1400 that shit is crazy

big mat:
the read sea is infested by sharks

Suga Foot:
I heard about that on the radio today  :-\

coola:
holy shit... thats fucked... crazy tragedy, r.i.p.

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