Sudanese authorities have rescued 35 Egyptian fishermen who were on board two ships that sunk off the coast of Sudan, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Amr Roshdy, said the Egyptian Embassy in Sudan followed up developments throughout the last 24 hours in coordination with Sudanese authorities. He said 33 of the fishermen, who were taken to hospital, were in good condition, while the two others were severely exhausted.
Roshdy assured that the embassy will return the fishermen home once their health conditions improve. He praised Sudan’s efforts to save the sailors’ lives and care for them in the hospital.
Mohamed al-Dash, captain of Princess Jasmine, the boat which sunk in the Red Sea near Sudan’s coasts, said Saudi authorities have released 60 fishermen who were on board two other boats he owns in the Red Sea. The fishermen were detained over suspicions that they were fishing within territorial waters.
Dash said Saudi authorities discovered that the fishermen entered territorial waters to rescue a colleague who was injured after his boat became snagged in coral reefs and drifted with strong winds.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
