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Hunt for clues after Egypt blasts in DahabThree foreigners were among those killed, officials said, and some 62 people were injured in the blasts. The attack is the third strike against tourist resorts along Egypt's Red Sea coast in the past two years. Police in Dahab made at least eight arrests on Tuesday as they tried to establish who was behind the bombings. But officials remained unsure whether Dahab was hit by suicide bombers, or if the bombs were detonated with timers. Dahab locals and holidaymakers were joined by Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif on a protest march through the town centre condemning terrorism and stressing support for the tourism industry. "Terrorists do not know borders any more," Mr Nazif said, pledging that Egypt would remain on the "front line" of the global war against terrorism. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and a host of world leaders have condemned the attack, which followed blasts in Taba in 2004 and Sharm al-Sheikh in 2005. US President George W Bush described the bombing as a "heinous act".
Popular resort Dahab's seaside promenade, crowded with popular restaurants, was hit by two blasts in quick succession at about 1900 (1700 GMT) on Monday. A third bomb exploded in a nearby shopping street, where tourists browsed for holiday souvenirs.
The town has grown from a Bedouin village along with the influx of tourists in Sinai, but remains a small, low-key resort popular with Western backpackers, budget Israeli tourists and scuba divers. Eyewitnesses spoke of seeing debris and body parts in the streets. Most of the dead were Egyptians, who had been enjoying a spring holiday in Dahab when the attacks occurred. A German boy was among three foreigners killed. Among the 62 wounded there were three Danes, three Britons, two Italians, two Germans, two French people, a South Korean, a Lebanese, a Palestinian, an American, an Israeli and an Australian.
6:06 AM - 4/25/2006Royal Diving?Harry joined the group at a British base on the island's south-east coast, where good dive training was available within a secure environment. Sandhurst's officer trainees choose from a number of outdoor adventure activities, in addition to their mainstream military education. Harry elected to explore the underwater world - and, in doing so, has continued a strong royal connection with diving. Prince Charles was a keen diver in his Royal Navy days and has been President of the British Sub-Aqua Club since 1974, when he took over from his father, Prince Philip. A key project involving Charles as a diver was the excavation of King Henry VIII's flagship Mary Rose, raised from the Solent on Britain's South Coast in 1982. 8:01 PM - 4/19/2006Cayman avoids major tragedySource: Cayman Press - Editorial
The Cayman Islands could have been the topic of major international news Friday if things hadn’t turned out as well as they did. A snorkel boat carrying 54 people capsized at the sandbar. Luckily, everyone escaped the unfortunate event safely, although one person had to be taken to hospital The passengers and crew aboard the Sun Runner were lucky. And so were we. If just one of those tourists had met death during that incident, the Cayman Islands and its diving industry would have been placed under a pretty ugly international microscope. As it is, enough damage will be done when the folks involved in the incident return home and recount their tales of terror. On the plus side, many of the visitors we talked to after the capsize said they thought the authorities in Cayman had handled the incident as best they could. And we’re sure they did. Unfortunately many of our guests lost personal items that are now littering the bottom of the sea. That’s surely got to leave a long–lasting bad taste. But this is certainly a rare incident. Fortunately for our cruise ship guests, the crew aboard the Kirk Sea Tour scuba boats are all CPR trained and certified, as are most of the scuba crews in the Cayman Islands. Kirk’s also equips all of its boats with life–saving equipment, as do most scuba boats. The dive industry here does a pretty good job of self–regulation. Because of this Friday incident, an investigation is under way. Tourism Minister Charles Clifford has promised that authorities will find out the cause of the accident and that corrective measures will be identified and rigorously pursued. There are many hands investigating the near–fatal incident – the Royal Cayman Islands Police maritime unit, the Port Authority and the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands. If any of those agencies find areas of improvement that could prevent such an accident on any boat used to transport guests and residents, it is hoped that those findings will be made public and measures put in place to correct the problem We repeat: the dive industry does a good job of regulating itself. But as more cruise ships sail into George Town and more people crowd onto the sandbar and accompanying reefs, it may be time to look at some form of government regulation. Tourism is part of the bread and butter of the Cayman Islands. We need to do all we can to make sure our visitors have a happy and safe experience while here. We look forward to the findings of the investigating agencies and coming up with solutions to any problems that are uncovered. 3:20 PM - 4/16/2006Former Jamestown councilor kicked out of scuba diving organizationJAMESTOWN, R.I. (AP) -- A former Jamestown council member found liable in his wife's death has been kicked out of the world's largest scuba diving organization. A Providence jury in February held David Swain responsible for the 1999 scuba diving death of his wife, Shelley Tyre. The jury awarded her parents more than three-point-five million dollars. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors revoked Swain's membership days after the verdict. The decision means Swain, who operates Ocean State Scuba, can no longer teach scuba courses. Swain has denied involvement in his wife's death, which occurred as they were scuba diving together in the British Virgin Island of Tortola. He has never been criminally charged. 3:14 PM - 4/16/2006Foreign tourist dies in diving accident
Koh Samui, Surat Thani - A foreign tourist died in a diving accident off Koh Samui Wednesday while another was in a serious condition. Both were suspected to have succumbed to decompression sickness, also known as the bends. 4:40 AM - 4/9/2006
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