| Egypt & Saudi Arabia. Al Salam Boccaccio 98 is third El Salam ferry to sink in 4 years |
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; "Al Salam Petrarca")
| Saturday, 04 February 2006 | |
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Marian Martin Al Salam Boccaccio 98, the vessel that went down in Thursday’s Red Sea disaster, is the third El Salam ferry to sink in less than 4 years. Her sister ship, the Al Salam Petrarca 90, went down on June 22, 2002, after also catching fire, shortly after leaving Dubai, en route to Safaga. The passengers were evacuated before she sank, but one person died and ten were injuried. Another El Salam Maritime ship, the Pride of Al Salam 95, was lost in the Red Sea, last October, after colliding with a container ship. The vessel had left the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on June 16, 2005, with around 1466 people onboard, mainly Egyptians returning home after performing the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. The ferry was awaiting safe passage to enter the port of Suez when she was rammed by the Cypriot registered cargo ship Jebal Ali, which had just cleared the southern part of the Suez Canal. The cargo ship ran into the side of the ferry, tearing a 5m diameter hole in her side in the vicinity of the engine room. Almost all passengers were saved, because the two ships locked together and the ferry remained afloat long enough for the passengers to board the cargo ship. Once the two vessels parted, when the cargo ship went astern, the Pride of Al Salam 95 sank in a few minutes. The Al Salam Boccaccio 98 was not – as has been reported in some media – a sister ship to the ill fated Townsend Thoresen ferry Herald of Free Enterprise. It was not even the same type of ferry. The Boccaccio and its lost sister vessel the Al Salam Petrarca 90 were two of six sister ships, built between 1969 and 1971 for the Italian company Tirrenia di Navigation of Palermo. All six vessels were built in Italy, by Italcantieri or Cantiere de Tirreno. All were, eventually, sold to a company in the El Salam Group. In addition to the loss of the Boccaccio and the Petrarca, the Leopardi was sent to Alang, India for breaking in March 2005. That leaves three vessels of the same age and type still in service: the Manzoni was sold to El Salam Shipping Suez , Egypt. It was renamed Al Salam Manzoni 94 and registered, in Panama, in the name of Silver Light Shipholding S.A.; the Carducci was sold to El Salam Shipping and Trading, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and registered, in Panama, in the name of Triton Diamond Ship Holding; the Pascoli was sold to El Salam Shipping, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and registered, in Panama, in the name of Sea Gem Mar Inc. The Boccaccio & Petrarca were also registered, in Panama, in the names of Pacific Sunlight Marine Inc and United Pacific Navigation Inc, repectively. The only one of the six sister ships to have been registered, in Panama, in the name of El Salam was the Al Salam Leopardi, which was renamed Santa Catherine and leased to Petra Navigation, prior to being broken up. |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 February 2006 ) |
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