Egyptian dies as 1,230 passengers flee burning Red Sea ferry

Rescue services evacuated 1,230 passengers onto life rafts from a burning ferry in the Red Sea on Thursday, with one Egyptian dying after jumping into the sea, Jordan's civil defence spokesman told AFP. By afternoon, only the captain and three crew members remained aboard the stricken ship. The fire broke out as the ferry was some 15 nautical miles from the Jordanian port of Aqaba, Egyptian sources said.
The ferry was headed for the Egyptian port of Nuweiba and as the blaze erupted passengers were ordered to take to life rafts. A tug and a second ferry were dispatched from Nuweiba to join the rescue, the sources added. "The blaze has cost the life of an Egyptian citizen who drowned after jumping from the burning ferry," Jordan's civil defence spokesman Farid Shareh said. "His body has been recovered by the rescue teams," he added. In addition "some people were suffering from breathing difficulties and have been rescued," the spokesman said.