JEDDAH, 14 February 2006 — The Shoura Council yesterday asked relevant government agencies to present a report on the Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 ship tragedy that claimed the lives of some 900 people, mostly Egyptians and Saudis.
According to a report issued by the Interior Ministry yesterday, officials have so far identified 20 Saudis who died in the disaster. “There are 36 Saudis still missing,” a ministry source said.
During its weekly meeting in Riyadh yesterday, the 150-member consultative body wanted to know what measures had been taken by authorities to rescue passengers after the ferry sank on Feb. 3 on its way to the Egyptian port of Safaga from Duba on the Kingdom’s northwestern coast. “The report must include the regulations set by government authorities to ensure the safety of passengers traveling on ferries between Saudi and foreign ports,” the Saudi Press Agency reported, quoting a Shoura statement. The demand by the Shoura came after allegations that the 35-year-old ferry, owned by an Egyptian businessman, lacked adequate safety facilities.
In a related development, the National Society of Human Rights said yesterday that it had set up a panel to investigate the tragedy. Dr. Hussein Al-Sharief, the society’s supervisor in the Makkah region, said the panel would contact the Egyptian ministries of foreign affairs and transport to explain the causes of the accident to press charges against those responsible.
“It was a big human disaster. We have also seen that the relatives of some victims were mistreated,” Asharq Al-Awsat daily quoted the official as saying.
Al-Sharief accused the company of providing sub-standard services to passengers in terms of health care and food. He also questioned why the ship’s crew did not use rescue boats to save the lives of its passengers.
Another committee has been formed with representatives from eight Saudi seaports to review regulations related to marine transportation. The panel will present its proposals to the transport minister by the end of this week.
Egyptian Transport Minister Muhammad Mansour told his country’s parliament that the government would not cover up the tragedy, adding that the parties responsible would be punished. The parliament members questioned the government for allowing a single businessman to monopolize 90 percent of the shipping lines operating between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
A high-speed ship owned by a group of Saudi investors arrived in Duba on Sunday to launch a new service. Al-Muttahida-1 will operate between Duba and Safaga on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The 83x23-meter craft has a capacity of 640 passengers and 175 vehicles.
