Suitably Flip

Egyptian Ferry Sinks off Saudi Coast

The passenger ship Salaam 98 with 1,300 people aboard sunk this morning in the Red Sea, en route from Saudi Arabia's west coast to Egypt's Port of Safaga.

Rescue efforts are ongoing; Reuters reports, "Dozens of bodies were picked up from the sea."

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The ship was believed to be carrying (among others) Muslim pilgrims returning from Mecca.

A Google search for Mamdouh Ismail (owner of the passenger ship) reveals him to be [at least someone with the same name as] a "top criminal lawyer for Islamic militants in Egypt", quoted in an L.A. Times story earlier this month commenting on the recent bin Laden "truce" audiotape.

The cause of the disaster was unknown, but according to an AP story, "there were high winds and a sandstorm overnight on Saudi Arabia's west coast, from which the ship departed Thursday evening."

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Egyptian Ferry Sinks off Saudi Coast

The passenger ship Salaam 98 with 1,300 people aboard sunk this morning in the Red Sea, en route from Saudi Arabia's west coast to Egypt's Port of Safaga.

Rescue efforts are ongoing; Reuters reports, "Dozens of bodies were picked up from the sea."

Auto-updating stories:
Fox News
MSNBC

The ship was believed to be carrying (among others) Muslim pilgrims returning from Mecca.

A Google search for Mamdouh Ismail (owner of the passenger ship) reveals him to be [at least someone with the same name as] a "top criminal lawyer for Islamic militants in Egypt", quoted in an L.A. Times story earlier this month commenting on the recent bin Laden "truce" audiotape.

The cause of the disaster was unknown, but according to an AP story, "there were high winds and a sandstorm overnight on Saudi Arabia's west coast, from which the ship departed Thursday evening."