An oil-drilling ship capsized in the Gulf of Suez, killing at least four crewmen and leaving four others missing, authorities said Wednesday.
The drilling ship overturned on Tuesday evening off the city of Ras Ghareb, on the African side of the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea’s northwestern arm and a crucial shipping route, Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry said in a statement.
There were 30 workers on board when the drilling ship capsized, said Amr Hanfy, governor of the Red Sea province.
Rescue teams recovered four bodies and rescued 22 others who were taken to hospitals, he added.
Egypt’s navy joined the search-and-rescue efforts which were still ongoing overnight for four missing crewmen.
The capsizing happened in an area called Gabel el-Zeit, a prominent Egyptian oil production site around 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the Suez Canal, the ministry said in a statement.
Authorities said the capsizing was unlikely to cause disruption to vessels transiting through the canal, which links the Gulf of Suez to the Mediterranean Sea.
