Fire-stricken ferry sinks off Jordanian coast

Fire-stricken ferry sinks off Jordanian coast

2011-11-07 21:31:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

AMMAN (BNO NEWS) -- An Egyptian ferry boat which caught fire off the coast of Jordan last week has sunk, state-run media reported on Monday. The blaze killed one passenger and injured dozens more.

The accident happened on Thursday morning when the Red Sea Ferry, which was carrying a total of 1,230 passengers, caught fire after departing from Jordan's only seaport in the coastal city of Aqaba. The ferry boat was heading toward Nuweiba, located on Egypt's northeastern Sinai Peninsula.

The blaze broke out in a storage chamber while the ferry was approximately 15 nautical miles (27 kilometers) off the coast of Jordan, prompting a large emergency operation to evacuate the passengers. One person who jumped into the sea was later found dead while 44 others suffered smoke injuries.

On Monday, the state-run Petra News Agency confirmed in a brief update that the vessel had sunk. It said the wreckage of the ship was located at a depth of about 750 meters (2,460 feet), but gave no other details.

Most of the passengers on board the boat were Egyptians who work in Jordan and were returning home for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

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