Ferry probe implicates govt

2006-04-19 19:42

Cairo - An investigation into the sinking of a Red Sea ferry, that went down in February drowning more than 1 000 lives, has blamed the ship's owners, a maritime safety body and the Egyptian government, reported the country's official news agency on Wednesday.

The parliamentary investigating committee report read: "The responsibility of the ship's owner and his sons has been determined in this crime because the ferry was operating with major deficiencies that should have prevented it from sailing."

The report said there was "wicked collaboration" between the maritime safety body and the Al-Salaam company that owned the ferry, Al-Salam Boccacio 98.

This collaboration meant the ferry was not observing "minimum safety requirements".

The report criticised the Egyptian government for failing to launch an adequate rescue operation: "Many obstacles could have been overcome in the management of the crisis if the response had been at the level that President Hosni Mubarak spoke of when he went to Hurghada port hours after the sinking."

- AP