Red Sea ship carrying 1,400 sinks

[Sal UK]

A desperate rescue mission is underway after a ferry carrying an estimated 1,400 people sank in the Red Sea.

Rescuers have picked up 100 survivors and 15 dead from the water after the ferry sank 40 miles off the Egyptian port and holiday resort of Hurghada.

The Royal Navy has dispatched a warship to the region to help with the rescue mission.

"She could be there in about 24 to 48 hours. She is turning round as a precaution," the spokesman said.

"It's now up to the Egyptian authorities whether they want to use her."

The Al Salam 89 should have reached Safaga on the Egyptian coast from the Saudi port of Duba at midnight UK time, but did not arrive. It had originally travelled from the Saudi port of Jeddah further south.

The cause was not immediately known, but there were high winds and a sandstorm overnight on Saudi Arabia's west coast, from which the ship departed Thursday evening.

Bad weather in the Red Sea is hampering the recovery effort.

The ship has a gross weight of 6,650 tons and is owned by the Egyptian company el-Salam Maritime Transport. According to its website it can carry 1,400 passengers.

A sister ship, the Al Salam 95, sank in the Red Sea in October after a collision with a Cypriot commercial vessel. In that case almost all of the passengers were rescued.


Source: NTL News

[-Tigger-]

just heard about that, thats alot of people.. lets hope as many as possible will be alive

[BADDOG]

I read it today too and it's truly dreadful I too hope that as many souls as possible may be saved.....


Regards a sad Baddog

[SilentTrigger]