Today’s featured wreck is one of our personal favourites. The Al Qamar AL Saudi AL Misr (aka The Trekroner)
On 18 June 1994 was on the return trip from Jeddah to Suez with 527 passengers and 63 crew onboard, when late during the evening a boiler explosion occurred which is said to have started a major fuel oil leak in the engine room which ignited. The resulting fire quickly spread throughout the rest of the vessel. A “Mayday” was sent from the ship and various vessels responded to the call for assistance. Lifeboats were lowered and passengers began jumping overboard to escape the spreading fire. The USS Briscoe, a US Navy Destroyer, was the ship nearest to the Al-Misr at 25-miles away, raced to the scene and acted as the On-Scene Command Center during the rescuing of passengers and crew.
She now lies at a maximum depth of 83m so is certainly one for the technical divers but is a stunning wreck to see.
Learn more at: http://www.redseawreckproject.com/red-sea-shipwreck-database/a/al-qamar-al-saudi-al-misr/
1 Comment
The m/v Doulos was there aswell to help with a medicle staff on board, 10 nurses and 2 doctors
We got a mayday call from the Al Qamar that night and sailed at maximum speed with our 80 year old vessel to the resque aswell
i helpt cooking meals and bread on board Doulos for the resqued people In the middle of the night.
I never forgot and cried for many years about what i saw that time, people in the water people and on the burning ship, and finely seeing Al Qamar sink.
There where so much more people on Al Qamar ship than mensioned. Much more…a lot of them died.