Egypt: Container Ship Collides with Fishing Vessel

At least thirteen fishermen have drowned after their boat ploughed into a container ship off the Gulf of Suez about 360km south of Cairo on Sunday.

Another 13 were rescued, Egyptian officials have said.

The boat had 40 Egyptian fishermen aboard, and rescue teams aided by a military helicopter are looking for the people that are still missing.

The boat collided with a Jeddah-bound Kuwaiti container ship travelling from Italy, Red Sea Port Authority spokesperson Abdul-Rahim Mustafa told Ahram Online.

"Our boat capsized in minutes, and some of us climbed onto the upturned hull and survived," one of the rescued fishermen told private satellite channel CBC.

The collision felt “like a thunderbolt, and no one could do anything” said another fisherman, although they did hear the ship’s warning siren when it was about 50m away. The fishing boat reportedly had no lights.

State-media reported that the Red Sea Port authorities have stated that they will confiscate the container ship.