Emergencies and World Disasters
The Night the Ferry Whispered: Peace Ship, Thousand Missing
22 min•1 augusti 2026
Om avsnittet
The Night the Ferry Whispered: Peace Ship, Thousand Missing
A whisper from an automated distress signal, sent at 23:58 on February 2, 2006, was the only sign that a ferry named "peace" was vanishing beneath the Red Sea - the vessel sank in under ten minutes and more than a thousand people were never counted again. What decisions before departure and during those final minutes allowed a rebuilt, top-heavy ro-ro ferry carrying at least 1,312 passengers and 96 crew to turn into a mass disappearance?
In this episode, we tell who was on that voyage, the ship's alterations and design flaws, and the narrow window of time between an engine-room fire and the ferry's loss, asking how oversight, ownership and ship design combined to produce such rapid catastrophe.
Person: Mamdouh Ismail
Date: February 2-3, 2006
Ship: al-Salam Boccaccio 98
Passengers: approximately 1,312
Crew: 96
- Distress signal received at 23:58 from RAF Kinloss contained no voice or coordinates.
- Vessel sank in under ten minutes after the first signs of disaster.
- Ship built in 1970, 130 meters long and 24 meters wide; rebuilt in 1991 with raised superstructure.
- Post-rebuild capacity increased to 1,300 passengers and 320 vehicles; draft remained about 5.9 meters.
- Around 220 vehicles were on the cargo deck during the February 3 departure from Duba.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A whisper from an automated distress signal, sent at 23:58 on February 2, 2006, was the only sign that a ferry named "peace" was vanishing beneath the Red Sea - the vessel sank in under ten minutes and more than a thousand people were never counted again. What decisions before departure and during those final minutes allowed a rebuilt, top-heavy ro-ro ferry carrying at least 1,312 passengers and 96 crew to turn into a mass disappearance?
In this episode, we tell who was on that voyage, the ship's alterations and design flaws, and the narrow window of time between an engine-room fire and the ferry's loss, asking how oversight, ownership and ship design combined to produce such rapid catastrophe.
Person: Mamdouh Ismail
Date: February 2-3, 2006
Ship: al-Salam Boccaccio 98
Passengers: approximately 1,312
Crew: 96
- Distress signal received at 23:58 from RAF Kinloss contained no voice or coordinates.
- Vessel sank in under ten minutes after the first signs of disaster.
- Ship built in 1970, 130 meters long and 24 meters wide; rebuilt in 1991 with raised superstructure.
- Post-rebuild capacity increased to 1,300 passengers and 320 vehicles; draft remained about 5.9 meters.
- Around 220 vehicles were on the cargo deck during the February 3 departure from Duba.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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