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/
