Four dead after oil drilling ship capsizes in Egypt's Gulf of Suez
The incident occurred off the coast of Ras Ghareb, on the African side of the Gulf of Suez — a key section of the Red Sea and a vital maritime route, according to the Petroleum Ministry.
Amr Hanafy, governor of Egypt's Red Sea province, said 30 people were on board at the time of the accident.
Rescue teams managed to retrieve four bodies and rescue 22 others, who were taken to hospital for treatment, he added.
Efforts to locate the remaining four missing crew continued through the night, with support from Egyptian naval vessels.
The cause of the vessel's capsizing has not yet been determined, and an investigation is under way.
Local media suggested the ship may have overturned while being towed for exploratory drilling at another site.
Egypt's Petroleum Ministry identified the location as Gabel el-Zeit, a major oil-producing zone approximately 300 kilometres south of the Suez Canal.
Vice Admiral Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority, stated that traffic through the canal remained unaffected, with 33 ships scheduled to transit the global waterway on Wednesday.
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Euronews
02-07-2025
- Euronews
Four dead after oil drilling ship capsizes in Egypt's Gulf of Suez
An oil drilling vessel capsized in the Gulf of Suez on Tuesday evening, leaving at least four crew members dead and four others unaccounted for, Egyptian authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The incident occurred off the coast of Ras Ghareb, on the African side of the Gulf of Suez — a key section of the Red Sea and a vital maritime route, according to the Petroleum Ministry. Amr Hanafy, governor of Egypt's Red Sea province, said 30 people were on board at the time of the accident. Rescue teams managed to retrieve four bodies and rescue 22 others, who were taken to hospital for treatment, he added. Efforts to locate the remaining four missing crew continued through the night, with support from Egyptian naval vessels. The cause of the vessel's capsizing has not yet been determined, and an investigation is under way. Local media suggested the ship may have overturned while being towed for exploratory drilling at another site. Egypt's Petroleum Ministry identified the location as Gabel el-Zeit, a major oil-producing zone approximately 300 kilometres south of the Suez Canal. Vice Admiral Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority, stated that traffic through the canal remained unaffected, with 33 ships scheduled to transit the global waterway on Wednesday.
Local France
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French Word of the Day: RDC
Why do I need to know RDC? Because this acronym might help you find your way out of a French building if you are lost. What does it mean? RDC - roughly pronounced RDC - may be the acronym for the central African country, known as 'DRC' or Democratic Republic of Congo in English. But it has a more common meaning in French too, and you might see it on an invitation, an address, or when riding in an elevator. RDC is the acronym for rez-de-chaussée , meaning the part of the building on the ground level, though you might occasionally also see people refer to this as the rez-de-cour or rez-de-jardin. Americans should beware that in Europe, the ground floor is either RDZ or '0' on elevators and staircases. The first floor, instead, is the first floor above the ground floor. Advertisement For example, if you are visiting a new friend in France, they might leave instructions saying Sonnez pour Dupont, première porte à droite, RDC (Ring for Dupont, first door on the right on the ground level). The word rez-de-chaussée has existed since the 14th century, according to the Académie Française . The old preposition rez comes from the Latin rasus , the past participle of radere , meaning to shave or polish. As for chaussée , linguists say that it likely came from the Latin calciata , referring to roads made of limestone. Use it like this Suivez les panneaux indiquant le bâtiment C. Le cabinet se trouve au numéro 12, RDC. - Follow the signs to Building C. The office is located at number 12, ground floor. J'étais perdue en cherchant sa place partout au premier étage, mais après j'ai compris qu'il avait dit RDC. - I was lost looking for his place anywhere on the first floor, but then I realised he'd said RDC.
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Five things to know about the St Catherine monastery in Egypt's Sinai
Dating back to the sixth century BC, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the world's oldest continuously inhabited monastery, attracting hundreds of pilgrims and tourists every year. Following warnings from the authorities and Orthodox Church in Greece that the ruling threatens the monastery's status, a government delegation is travelling from Athens to Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the situation. World's oldest monastery The monastery was founded by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the sixth century at the biblical site of the burning bush at the foot of Mount Sinai, where Moses was believed to have received the 10 commandments, according to the world's three major monotheistic religions. It was named for Saint Catherine of Alexandria, whose remains are housed in the church, along with rare iconography and manuscripts. It is headed by the Archbishop of Mount Sinai and Raithu, under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. According to UNESCO, "the entire area is of immense spiritual significance" to Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The organisation says the monastery is "the property of the Greek Orthodox Church and belongs to the Archdiocese of Sinai". Ownership dispute On Friday, an Egyptian appeals court ruled that the monastery "is entitled to use" the land and the archaeological religious sites dotting the area, all of which "the state owns as public property". The ruling, only a brief of which has been published by Egyptian media, has drawn criticism from the Orthodox patriarchates in Athens, Jerusalem and Istanbul. Archbishop Ieronymos, head of the Greek Orthodox church in Athens, warned the monastery's property could now be "seized and confiscated". Egypt has defended the court ruling, saying it "consolidates" the site's sacred status. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt was "fully committed to preserving the unique and sacred religious status of Saint Catherine's monastery", in a phone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis meanwhile emphasised the importance of "preserving the pilgrimage and Greek Orthodox character of the monastery". The delegation from Athens is expected to lay out its position on Wednesday. According to Greece's state news agency, that position "is supported by a UNESCO document, which proves that Egypt had acknowledged in writing since 2002 that the ownership of the land and buildings belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church and the Archdiocese of Sinai". Megaproject Construction began in March 2021 in the Saint Catherine area, which includes the eponymous town and a nature reserve, for a government megaproject known as the 'Great Transfiguration' of Saint Catherine. The project aims to bring upwards of a million tourists a year to the serene mountain village. Its many construction projects include an events hall, hundreds of hotel rooms and a new residential area housing hundreds of units. Observers say the project has harmed the reserve's ecosystem and threatened both the monastery and the local community. According to a report by World Heritage Watch, the project has "destroyed the integrity of this historical and biblical landscape". UNESCO in 2023 requested that Egypt "halt the implementation of any further development projects", conduct an impact evaluation and develop a conservation plan. The government, which is campaigning for former tourism and antiquities minister Khaled al-Enany to head UNESCO from October, said in January that 90 percent of the project was complete. Visitors The peaks and valleys around Saint Catherine attract large groups of hikers, peaking at 2,000 visitors to Mount Sinai in a single day last December, local authorities reported. The area, 1.5 kilometres (one mile) above sea level, is particularly popular with both Egyptians and foreign tourists seeking a reprieve from overcrowded Red Sea resorts elsewhere in Sinai. - Bedouin tribe - The area is home to the Jabaliya tribe, whose name derives from the Arabic word for "mountain". Said to be the descendants of the Roman soldiers who came to guard the monastery in its early days, they maintain a close connection to Saint Catherine, with many working as tour guides today. For decades, they have been calling for better infrastructure, including reliable water supply, emergency services and telecommunications coverage to improve their work and daily life. According to World Heritage Watch, they are currently outnumbered by the thousands of labourers building the megaproject.
