The Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said the Saudi search and rescue team, an affiliate of the air forces and civil defense, has staged several-flight aerial and sea survey of the area of the incident looking for survivors of the Egyptian Ferry Alsalam 98 which sank in the Red Sea last week, drowning to death hundreds of passengers and crew on it, but found no survivors. However, the team was able to pick up six more bodies, bringing to 245 the total number of bodies picked since the beginning of the ordeal to date and handed over to the Egyptian side. In a statement, the Ministry said three bodies belonging to Saudi nationals were recognized in coordination with those in charge at the Saudi embassy in Cairo, bringing to 16 the number of those recognized on the Saudi side of victims. The number of bodies remained anonymous amounted to 40 Saudis, the statement added. One Saudi survivor, who was among the previously-announced list of survivors, arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport on-board a Saudi airlines flight, the Ministry said, adding that four bodies, accompanied by their first of kin, have been transported to Saudi airports of Jeddah, Madinah and Riyadh. The Ministry said two of the three Saudi survivors, who were earlier rushed to Jeddah-based King Faisal Specialist Hospital, were discharged last Wednesday while the third was still receiving health care.
