Salem Express Wreck December 2023

MV Salem Express
The Salem Express was a passenger ship that sank in the Red Sea.
It is notable due to the heavy loss of life which occurred when she sank shortly after striking a reef at around 11:13pm on Saturday December 14, 1991
On its final voyage, the Salem Express sailed her usual 450 mile journey from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Safaga, Egypt, which took around 36 hours; they intended to unload 350 passengers, before continuing then sailing north to Suez.
This route had been the ship's standard schedule since 1988.
The ship's departure had been delayed by two days in Saudi Arabia due to a mechanical fault.
The night of the sinking was stormy.
The majority of passengers were Egyptian.
Most were poorly-paid labourers travelling home by boat for the holidays; around 150 were returning from pilgrimage to Mecca.
Dives to the shipwreck confirm the "holiday" mood of the ship, with luggage packed with gifts for family members.
Pilgrims returning from Mecca were dressed in fine clothes to celebrate.