More than 1,000 safe after fire on ferry
Source: Agencies |
November 4, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
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A JORDANIAN man died and 1,250 passengers and crew members, most of them Egyptians, were rescued following a fire aboard a ferry sailing across the Red Sea to Egypt's port of Nuweiba, according to a Jordanian official.
The blaze broke out earlier in the day in the ferry's cargo section during a trip across the Gulf of Aqaba, said Jordanian Civil Defense spokesman, Farid al-Sharaa.
A Jordanian ship arrived to help the stricken vessel about 16 kilometers off the coast of Jordan, an Egyptian port official said.
Rescuers extinguished the blaze but a Jordanian man died after jumping into the water.
Al-Sharaa said 12 passengers suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital. The remaining 1,230 passengers - all Egyptians - were put on another ferry to Egypt.
Al-Sharaa said the captain and three crew members - all Egyptians - were among those rescued.
An Egyptian official said Pella's passengers were mostly Egyptian expatriate workers returning home for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, which started on Sunday.
The Pella is owned by The Arab Bridge company, an Egyptian-Jordanian venture.
The Gulf of Aqaba, also known as the Gulf of Eilat in Israel, is the northeastern tip of the Red Sea between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt has experienced occasional accidents involving ferries on the Red Sea. In February 2006, about 1,000 people - mostly Egyptian workers returning home from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations - died when fire broke out on their vessel and rescue attempts were botched by the Egyptians.
The blaze broke out earlier in the day in the ferry's cargo section during a trip across the Gulf of Aqaba, said Jordanian Civil Defense spokesman, Farid al-Sharaa.
A Jordanian ship arrived to help the stricken vessel about 16 kilometers off the coast of Jordan, an Egyptian port official said.
Rescuers extinguished the blaze but a Jordanian man died after jumping into the water.
Al-Sharaa said 12 passengers suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital. The remaining 1,230 passengers - all Egyptians - were put on another ferry to Egypt.
Al-Sharaa said the captain and three crew members - all Egyptians - were among those rescued.
An Egyptian official said Pella's passengers were mostly Egyptian expatriate workers returning home for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, which started on Sunday.
The Pella is owned by The Arab Bridge company, an Egyptian-Jordanian venture.
The Gulf of Aqaba, also known as the Gulf of Eilat in Israel, is the northeastern tip of the Red Sea between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt has experienced occasional accidents involving ferries on the Red Sea. In February 2006, about 1,000 people - mostly Egyptian workers returning home from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations - died when fire broke out on their vessel and rescue attempts were botched by the Egyptians.
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