Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday sent separate messages of condolences to the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia after the Egyptian ferry Al Salaam 98 carrying some 1,400 people aboard sank in the Red Sea.

In the messages, Hu, on behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, offered the deepest condolences over the loss of life in the ferry tragedy in which hundreds were feared drowned.

The Chinese president also extends his sincerest sympathies to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, to the governments and peoples of the two countries and to the bereaved families and survivors.

The Egyptian ship Al Salaam 98, with 1,310 passengers and 104 crew members, 22 cars, 16 trucks on board, disappeared from the radar screens shortly after it left the Saudi port of Dubah at 7:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) on Thursday.

Rescuers have already recovered 185 bodies and at least?324 passengers have been rescued.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2006)