DAMASCUS, Feb. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri expressed condolences to his Egyptian and Saudi Arabian counterparts and the families of the victims on Saturday over the sinking of an Egyptian ferry in the Red Sea, the official SANA news agency reported.

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also sent a cable of condolences on Friday to his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak for the tragedy.

    The ferry with 1,310 passengers and 104 crew members on board set fire and sank after it left the Saudi port of Dubah at 7:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) on Thursday for the Egyptian port of Safaga.

    The Red Sea Ports Authority said Saturday that the number of survivors rescued has risen to 389 and that a total of 185 bodies have been recovered and about 800 are still missing. Enditem