A tragic incident unfolded on Tuesday (01.07.2025) in the Gulf of Suez, several kilometers away from the entrance of the Suez Canal, where an oil pumping platform capsized, resulting in at least four fatalities and leaving more than 18 injured. The accident occurred in the Gulf of Suez near the Jabal al-Zeit area, located in northeastern Egypt, approximately 250 kilometers from the Suez Canal entrance.
The oil pumping platform, known as Adam Marine 12, overturned under unclear circumstances. As a result, four individuals lost their lives and were airlifted for medical evacuation, while the remaining 18 were transported via ambulances to El Jouna Hospital. According to the Ministry of Health via X (formerly Twitter), “the bodies of the remaining four victims have been transferred to the general hospital in Hurghada.”
Egyptian Vice President and Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, along with the Ministers of Petroleum and Labor, are closely monitoring the situation. The Suez Canal, located within the namesake gulf, is a strategically vital maritime route connecting Asia to Europe and vice versa. Approximately 12% of global seaborne trade passed through this channel before Houthi rebel attacks from Yemen began at the end of 2023 against ships in the Red Sea, as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In 2021, a 200,000-ton container ship named Ever Given ran aground on the bank of the Suez Canal, blocking it for six days and causing a significant disruption to international maritime trade.