Egypt’s minister of social solidarity doubled on Monday the sum of financial compensation for those who died in the sinking of a boat in the Red Sea on Sunday.
A fishing boat crashed into a trade ship in the Red Sea early Sunday, killing 13 fishermen. The boat, ‘Badr al-Islam’, was carrying 40 Egyptian fishermen and sailing in the Gabal al-Zayt region.
Daqahliyah Governor Omar al-Shawadfi had announced on Sunday issuing 5,000 Egyptian pounds worth of compensation for each of the families of those who died in the boat.
Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Wali nevertheless doubled the sum to 10,000 pounds, reported state-run news agency MENA.
“No compensation, no matter how big, will recompense the loss of those missed,” MENA quoted Wali as saying. The minister added that the compensation is just to “assist” the families of the victims in facing the “burdens of life”.
Shawadfi added that those injured, so far 13, will be compensated with 2,000 Egyptian pounds each, reported MENA.
The General Authority for the Red Sea Ports announced the confiscation of the trade ship which caused the accident.
Authority Spokesman Abdel Rehim Mostafa said the ship was carrying 220 tonnes of cargo.
Around 1000 people died in the Red Sea in February 2006 when a ferry sailing from Saudi Arabia caught fire, going down in history as one of Egypt’s worst sea accidents.
