CAIRO, Feb. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The Egyptian government is following up rescue operations of more than 1,400 passengers of a cruiser which sank in the Red Sea overnight on Friday, and so far 100 survivors have been picked up and 20 bodies pulled out.

An ambulance parks at the seaside of Safaga, an Egyptian Red Sea port some 600 km southeast of the capital Cairo, Feb. 3, 2006. [Xinhua photo]

    President Hosni Mubarak issued directives to the navy force and the health ministry to intensify search, provide optimal care for survivors and open an immediate investigation into the mishap.

    The president also expressed deep sorrow and conveyed condolences to the victims' families.

    Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif has asked Transport Minister Mohamed Mansour to follow up the situation, who immediately left for the Red Sea Governorate.

    Nazif also received a report from Red Sea Governor Major General Abu Baker al-Rashidi on measures adopted by the governorate to deal with the crisis and provide care for survivors.

    Cabinet spokesman Magdi Radi said, the Ministry of Health & Population announced a state of emergency at all hospitals in the governorate.

    Four Egyptian rescue ships have reached the scene Friday afternoon around 10 hours after the ship went down and dozens of helicopter were hovering over the sea looking for the drowned and survivors.

    An official at the Maritime Authority control room in Suez, who declined to be named, confirmed that 20 bodies had been pulled out of the water so far and about 100 survivors were rescued from five lifeboats.

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