1300 lost as ship vanishes

THERE were fears for 1300 cruise ship passengers today after an Egyptian vessel disappeared from radar screens and sank in the Red Sea.

Rescuers helicopters reported seeing bodies floating in the sea after racing to the last known location of the Salaam 89 which vanished in bad weather shortly after leaving Saudi Arabia last night. At least three survivors were spotted in a lifeboat. Many of the ship's passengers were believed to be Muslim pilgrims returning home to Egypt from the annual hajj to Mecca, which ended last month.

Saudi and Egyptian naval vessels and helicopters launched an immediate search for the ship after it disappeared from radar screens 62 miles from the Saudi port of Duba. It had been due to arrive at Egypt's port of Safaga at 3am. "We lost all contact with the ship shortly after it left the Saudi port," said one maritime official at Suez. An Egyptian helicopter spotted a lifeboat carrying three people, and other crews reported seeing bodies. The ship is owned by the Egyptian firm El-Salaam Maritime Transport Company and was reportedly carrying 1300 passengers.

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US says world safer, despite 11,000 attacks in '05

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