1,000+ of Saudi Arabia's guest workers feared drowned
{{date|February 4, 2006}}

An aging ferry deemed unsafe sank in the [[w:Red Sea|Red Sea]] on Friday with about 1400 people on board, mostly [[Egypt]]ians who travel back and forth to [[Saudi Arabia]] to work as guest workers.

Egyptian President [[Hosni Mubarak]]'s spokesman, Suleiman Awad, said there were not enough lifeboats, and questions were raised about the safety of the old ship that had 220 cars on it as well as the passengers.  "The speed with which the ship sank and the lack of sufficient lifeboats indicate there was some deficiency," Awad said.

"It's a roll-on, roll-off ferry, and there is big question mark over the stability of this kind of ship," said David Osler of Lloyds List. "It would only take a bit of water to get on board this ship and it would be all over. ... The percentage of this type of ferry involved in this type of disaster is huge."

Tens of thousands of poor Egyptians work in [[w:Persian Gulf|Persian Gulf]] countries for years to earn money. They travel by ship as it is a cheaper option than flying.

== Related news ==

*{{Wikinews|title=Egyptian passenger ferry sinks in Red Sea|date=February 4, 2006 }}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060204/ts_nm/egypt_ferry_dc_15
|title=Hopes dim for 900 missing after Egypt ferry sinks
|author=Tom Perry
|pub=Reuters
|date=February 4, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060203/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_ship_sinks
|title=Most of 1,400 on Doomed Ferry Feared Lost 
|author=Mariam Fam
|pub=AP
|date=February 3, 2006}}

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{{archived}}

[[category:Egypt]]
[[Category:Saudi Arabia]]
[[category:Middle East]]
[[category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:Transport]]
[[Category:Merchant shipping]]
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:Hosni Mubarak]]
[[Category:Red Sea]]
[[Category:MV al-Salam Boccaccio 98]]
[[Category:Missing persons]]
An aging ferry deemed unsafe sank in the Red Sea on Friday with about 1400 people on board, mostly Egyptians who travel back and forth to Saudi Arabia to work as guest workers.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's spokesman, Suleiman Awad, said there were not enough lifeboats, and questions were raised about the safety of the old ship that had 220 cars on it as well as the passengers.  "The speed with which the ship sank and the lack of sufficient lifeboats indicate there was some deficiency," Awad said.

"It's a roll-on, roll-off ferry, and there is big question mark over the stability of this kind of ship," said David Osler of Lloyds List. "It would only take a bit of water to get on board this ship and it would be all over. ... The percentage of this type of ferry involved in this type of disaster is huge."

Tens of thousands of poor Egyptians work in Persian Gulf countries for years to earn money. They travel by ship as it is a cheaper option than flying.


category:Egypt

category:Middle East
category:Disasters and accidents
Saudi Arabia Transport Merchant shipping Africa Hosni Mubarak Red Sea MV al-Salam Boccaccio 98 Missing persons