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'Many Dead' as Egypt ferry sinks
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'Many dead' as Egypt ferry sinks
The al-Salam Boccaccio '98 had a capacity of more than 1,400. Photo: Yvan Perchoc
Many people are feared to have died after an Egyptian ferry carrying about 1,400 people sank in the Red Sea.
Dozens of bodies and at least 300 survivors were reportedly pulled from the water, as rescuers scoured the area in poor weather before darkness fell.
The al-Salam Boccaccio '98 sank about 80km (50 miles) off Egypt during an overnight trip from Duba, Saudi Arabia.
The cause of the disaster is not known, but there were high winds when the 35-year-old vessel set sail.
The Egyptian transport minister said there had been no concerns about the seaworthiness of the ship.
How can they put all these passengers in such an old ship that was not fit for sailing?
Ahmed Abdul Hamid
Ferry passenger's relative
But President Hosni Mubarak has ordered an immediate inquiry into the cause and circumstances of the sinking.
Most of the passengers were Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia, but some were said to be pilgrims returning from Mecca.
'Complete blackout'
The ship vanished after setting sail for Safaga on Thursday evening, but no distress signal was said to have been received by Egyptian officials.
Warships and helicopters have been searching the area, which Ayman al-Kaffas, spokesman for the Egyptian embassy in London, described as "vast".
A spokesman for the ferry's Egyptian owner, the el-Salam Maritime Transport, said later on Friday that between 300 and 400 passengers had been rescued.
"We have found them and we took them on board one of our ships which was sent to take part in the rescue operation," Mohammed Helmy told the AFP news agency.
A British warship sent to the area has been recalled after Egypt said it was no longer needed.
The Egyptian ship was carrying 1,310 passengers and 96 Egyptian crew, Jan Maher from el-Salam Maritime Transport, told the BBC.
There were about 100 people from other countries, including Saudis and Sudanese, Capt Maher said.
In Safaga, many anxious families have been waiting for hours for news of their loved ones.
"There is nobody... to tell us what is going on. We are in a complete blackout, " Ahmed Abdul Hamid, who was waiting for his cousin, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
Why?
A presidential spokesman said "the speed at which the ship sank and the fact there were not enough life rafts on board confirm that there was a [safety] problem".
RECENT SHIPPING DISASTERS
2002: Joola, Senegal, more than 1,800
2001: Java, Indonesia, more than 500
1996: Bukoba, Tanzania, more than 500
1994: Estonia, Baltic Sea, 852
1991: Salam Express, Egypt, 464
1987: Dona Paz, Philippines, more than 4,300
"But we cannot anticipate the results of the investigation," Suleiman Awad told public television.
The general manager of the Saudi branch of maritime insurance company Lloyds said earlier the ship had met all safety requirements.
"The vessel was well equipped with all lifeboats and all her certificates were valid, " Nizam Siddiqui said.
AL-SALAM 98
Capacity: 1,487
Built: Italy 1970
Length: 118m (388ft)
Gross tonnage: 11,779t
Owner: El-Salam Maritime
He ruled out the possibility of a collision with another ship, saying the other vessel would have reported the incident.
Shipping expert Paul Beaver told the BBC that overloading should not have been a problem.
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.
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