Cyprus cargo ship in Suez Canal collision

THE Cyprus Shipping department is sending a team to Cairo to work with Egyptian authorities after the sinking of a ferryboat, which collided with a Cypriot-flagged cargo ship on Monday, killing one and injuring 40.

An Egyptian ferryboat carrying some 1,400 Muslim pilgrims back from Mecca collided with the Cypriot vessel at the entrance to the Suez Canal, causing a stampede among passengers, all but five of whom were Egyptians. The collision, which happened at around 7.30pm on Monday, caused a 16-ft hole in the side of the passenger ship.

Apart from the death of one elderly woman from shock, all the passengers were safely rescued before the ferryboat sank near the canal’s southern entrance, about 80 miles east of Cairo.

Initial reports had spoken of two deaths, but shipping official Nicos Economides said yesterday it had been only one.

“One elderly person died in hospital as a result of a heart attack brought on by shock,” he said. “A number of other people were injured, but only one seriously,” he added.

Economides said that from the information he had, there was little damage to the Cypriot vessel. He said officials would be sent to Egypt to assist the investigation. “We are waiting to see exactly what happened,” he said.

Egypt’s transport minister Essam Sharaf said the Al Salam 95 had sunk after about 20 launches rescued the passengers. He said he had no details on the state of the Cypriot ship or its crew as rescue operations had focused on the passenger ship.

“We concentrated on saving lives. The boat that carried people has sunk now. Thank God we moved all the people from there,” he said.

The passenger ship was carrying pilgrims from the Saudi port of Jeddah.
At least 12 boats were involved in the rescue, moving the passengers in the three hours before the boat sank.

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