The ship was launched in 1964 as Fred Scamaroni, later it was (with changes of owners) renamed several times: 1980 –
Nuits Saint Georges, 1981 - Lord Sinai, 1984 – Al Tahra. The last owner was the Egyptian Samatour Shipping Company,
which named the ship Salem Express. The last voyage of the ship took place on the 15th December 1991, when it sailed out
from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for Safaga in Egypt. According to official records, it was transporting 650 persons (578
passengers and 72 crew members). At night, in a bad weather and through big waves, the captain was attempting to get to
Safaga from the southeast, where there are many reefs. The ferryboat ran into the westernmost promontory of the reef
Hyndman. The damage in the front part of the ship was so great that the Salem Express sank in just few minutes. From all
people who were on the board, only 180 persons were saved. Some resources state that more than a thousand of drowned
bodies were lifted from the shipwreck. Speed of the sinking, nighttime and the tempestuous sea contributed to the extent
of the disaster. Rescue works were not organized well. Rescue boats on the larboard are still lying in the water even
today. Only tens of surviving people were able to swam on their own to the shore. Inside of the shipwreck, there are
hundreds of luggages, under which bodies of their owners are still buried today. Some photos give a shocking impression.
STAFF - SALEM EXPRES
Many expeditions have already been organized to the Salem Expres. From the point
of diving, it concerns very easy dives. The wreck lies on the seabed in the
depth of 30 meters, on a sandy plateau with a good visibility, sometimes even up
to 40 meters. The external construction of the ship is well preserved with easy
accesses to deck cabins and the captain's bridge. What is impressive are screw
propellers and preserved boards on the rear deck including visible bollards.
Drastic and full of mixed feelings are views inside the wreck.
The passages are full of accumulated luggages, purchased items from passengers,
who are mostly lying under them. There are bricklayer's wheelbarrows full of
televisions, a plenty of suitcases and backpacks, baby prams, female shoes, toys
... Unfortunately, these remaining items have been recently ransacked and the
view of the torn up luggages is even more petrifying... The document was made
for the television Prima by the director and documentarist Miloš Pilař. Photos
of Bohumil Bochňák are used in the document.
