Almost all of the passengers who were onboard a ferry that caught fire while sailing from the Jordanian port of Aqaba have reached the Egyptian port of Nuweiba unharmed on lifeboats, Egyptian officials say.
One unidentified Jordanian passenger died after jumping into the water in an attempt to escape the fire, while the other more than 1,200 onboard were rescued by authorities, Farid al-Sharaa, Jordanian Civil Defense spokesman, said.
Al-Sharaa said 12 passengers suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to a Jordanian hospital. The remaining passengers were placed aboard life rafts that subsequently sailed off to Egypt, he said.
Al Jazeera