Egypt oil ship disaster: Vessel overturns in Gulf of Suez with 30 onboard; four dead, several missing

At least four crew members died and four went missing after an oil drilling ship capsized Tuesday evening in the Gulf of Suez, said Egyptian authorities.

The incident occurred off the city of Ras Ghareb, located on the African side of the Gulf of Suez, a key arm of the Red Sea and an important global shipping route.

The petroleum ministry said there were 30 workers on board when the ship overturned in the Gabel el-Zeit area, about 300 kilometers south of the Suez Canal, said Egypt’s petroleum ministry as reported by AP.

Amr Hanafy, governor of the Red Sea province, confirmed that rescue teams had recovered four bodies and saved 22 crew members, who were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Search-and-rescue operations continued overnight, with ships from the Egyptian navy joining the effort to locate the four missing workers.

Authorities said the capsizing is unlikely to affect traffic through the Suez Canal, which connects the Gulf of Suez to the Mediterranean Sea.