JEDDAH: The Jamaa-2 ferry between Safaga in Egypt and Dhuba in the northwestern Saudi coast experienced mechanical problems and had to return to Safaga and dock for three days of repairs.
Hundreds of Saudi-bound travelers, mostly Egyptian pilgrims, were stranded at the port following the incident as they were not allowed to leave the ship over the period of repairs if they wanted to return for the voyage.
Passenger Mahmoud Abdullah Al-Aswani said that the mechanical problem did not cause the ship to be adrift without power, as the captain was able to return the vessel to its port of embarkation. The ship was given the go-ahead to leave after repairs were done and arrived in Dhuba on Tuesday after three days of travel.
Muhammad Mansour, Egyptian transportation minister, stressed the need to increase inspections of ferries during peak-season travel. Many Egyptians travel to and from Saudi Arabia via Red Sea ferries, many of which are older hand-me-down ships from more upscale ferry markets, such as in the Mediterranean.
Saudi and Egyptian authorities have said they would increase scrutiny of these vessels, some of which were found in the past to have been illegally altered to increase passenger capacities by adding dangerous upper decks that increase the chances of capsizing on rough waters.
Authorities felt compelled to promise more action after the ferry Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 sank on Feb. 3, 2006, claiming the lives of over 900 people. In that accident, one of the ship’s engines caught fire but the captain decided to make the trek from Dhuba to Safaga despite the problem. Crewmembers initially managed to get the fire temporarily under control, but after the fire re-ignited the captain decided to turn the ship around, causing it to capsize.
The actual cause of the sinking was never exactly determined, though most theories revolve around the fact the 29-year-old ferry, bought from an Italian company after it retired the vessel from its fleet, had had upper floors added in 1980 that would have increased its chances of tipping.
