Ferry carrying 1,400 sinks on the Red Sea

CAIRO, Egypt — Rescue teams scoured the dark waters of the Red Sea for survivors after an Egyptian ferry carrying more than 1,400 people sank in stormy weather early Friday. Nearly 24 hours later, just 324 survivors had been found, along with nearly 200 bodies.

The number of confirmed victims was expected to climb sharply overnight.

Saudi and Egyptian ships combed the chilly waters, but the ferry already had been missing for 10 hours by the time rescue efforts got under way.

There was no way to know what caused the ferry to sink, but heavy winds and sandstorms were plaguing the Red Sea area when the boat disappeared. The ferry didn't have enough lifeboats to save all of the passengers, a presidential spokesman said.

President Hosni Mubarak "called for a swift investigation into what happened, and this will happen parallel to the rescue efforts," spokesman Suleiman Awad told Egyptian state television. "This is not the first incident that happened, and we need to investigate why this happens. Is it a technical failure, a breach of safety regulation or what?"

After the slow start, rescue efforts appeared to be hampered by confusion. Egyptian authorities at first turned down British and American offers to send ships to help hunt for survivors. A British warship on patrol nearby had already turned toward the scene when Cairo called it off. As the hours dragged on, however, the Egyptian government reversed its decision and asked for help.

Frantic families huddled by the Egyptian port town of Safaga, where the ferry had been due to make landfall before sunrise on Friday. The boat was making the 120-mile crossing from the Saudi port of Dubah to Egypt, carrying mostly Egyptian workers who trek to the oil-rich Persian Gulf state to make a living. Many struggling Egyptians opt for the water crossing on their visits home because it is cheaper than flying.

At least 2,000 friends and family members milled near the gates of the port Friday night, waiting in anger and confusion for news on their loved ones. Officials wandered the crowd, reading the names of passengers. The atmosphere was chaotic and tense; riot police were deployed in case of unrest.

"We don't know anything yet," said Hassan Suleiman Youssef, a 47-year-old Arabic teacher. After seeing news of the ferry disaster on television, Youssef had driven to Safaga hoping to hear word of his brother-in-law, who was on his way home from guiding pilgrims in the Muslim rite of hajj.

"No one told us if he's dead or alive," said Youssef, standing near the port in his traditional robes. "We are still waiting."