Egyptian fishing boat sinks off Sudanese shores

January 30, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – An Egyptian fishing boat carrying 20 to 23 people sank off the Sudanese shores, said maritime sources.

Maritime sources at the Egyptian al-Ataka sea port confirmed that the fishing boat “Zinat al-Bahr” sank off the Sudanese coast, saying the Sudanese Maritime found two survivors.

The same sources pointed the search for the missing people is still ongoing, saying the boat had left Branees sea port in the Red Sea province ten days ago and headed towards the international waters for fishing.

It pointed the sunken boat was likely collided with coral reefs, saying the fishermen belong to the Izbat al-Borg in Dumiat province and al-Matariya in Daghalia province.

The fishermen chief in Suez Bakri Abu al-Hassan said 14 Egyptian fishermen were trapped inside al-Saba’at area in the Sudanese territorial waters after being swept away by strong winds, pointing that two fishermen managed to reach the Sudanese border guards.

He told the Egpytian daily Al-Watan that the strong wind has drifted the boat towards al-Saba’at area which is full of coral reefs, saying the boat has most likely got stuck on the coral reefs.

Abu al-Hassan demanded the Egyptian foreign ministry to immediately contact the Sudanese government in order to comb al-Saba’at area and search for the missing fishermen and the boat before it sinks.

(ST)