At least four people have died and 22 others were injured after a barge capsized in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt’s health ministry announced on Wednesday.
The injured have been rushed to local hospitals while rescue is still going on, the ministry said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabie said on Wednesday that the capsizing occurred in an area called Gabel El-Zeit, a prominent Egyptian oil production site around 209 km south of the Suez Canal.
He said traffic movement remains regular and has not been impacted as the accident happened outside the course of the Suez Canal, adding that the SCA is prepared to cooperate with concerned agencies to provide necessary help.
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources confirmed on Tuesday that the offshore barge "Adam Marine 12," owned by the Offshore Shukheir Oil Company, capsized earlier in the day in the Gulf of Suez.
In a statement, the ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with relevant authorities and companies in the area.
A team led by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi and Minister of Labor Mohamed Gobran has arrived at the site for rescue operations, said the statement.
