The Egyptian authorities have been closely addressing the incident involving the sinking of the oil rig ADMARINE12 for several hours since it occurred late Tuesday night near Gebel El Zeit in the Gulf of Suez. This situation has not disrupted navigation in the canal. Officials reported that there were 30 individuals on board the sunken rig, which included survivors, fatalities, and missing persons. Major General Amr Hanafy stated that rescuers successfully saved 23 people, recovered 4 bodies, and are still searching for 3 missing individuals.
A statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population indicated that both the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawy, along with the Minister of Labor, Mohamed Gabr, have traveled to the site of the incident. A prompt response involved dispatching 27 ambulances—20 to the accident scene and 7 to Hurghada Airport, where 4 injured individuals were airlifted and an additional 18 were transported by ambulance to Gouna Hospital. The bodies of 4 deceased individuals have been sent to Hurghada General Hospital.
Navigation Remains Uninterrupted
According to Team Osama Rabie, head of the Suez Canal Authority, navigation through the canal has continued smoothly in both directions and has remained unaffected by the sinking of ADMARINE12, which took place about 130 nautical miles from the southern entrance of the Suez Canal in the Red Sea. He assured that the canal’s traffic persists at its normal rate and emphasized that the incident did not occur within the navigational channel.
The Suez Canal Authority’s report noted that on Wednesday, a total of 33 vessels traversed the canal in both directions, with a combined net tonnage of 1.4 million tons.
Team Rabie reinforced the readiness of the authority to coordinate with relevant bodies to provide necessary assistance if required, as part of the nation’s efforts toward effective crisis management.
The Owner of the Sunken Rig
ADIS Holding Company announced the transportation incident involving the barge ADMARINE12, owned by one of its subsidiaries operating within Egypt’s territorial waters. The company stated that at the time of the accident, there were 30 individuals on the barge, including 18 of its employees.
They reported a successful rescue of 23 individuals, while 3 people remain missing, and intensive search operations are ongoing by the responsible authorities. The incident led to the tragic loss of 3 employees and 1 contractor.
The company also noted that the rig and its crew are fully insured under the existing group insurance program.
Furthermore, they do not currently anticipate any significant impact on their financial position or the projected financial results for the fiscal year 2025, reaffirming their commitment to adhering to the highest safety standards in all their operations.