Shipwreck M/V Million Hope

The Million Hope was a Bulk Cargo Carrier of 16,339 GRT built at Koyo Dockyard, Mihara-Hiroshima, Japan. Originally named the Ryusei Maru upon her being launched on 10 June 1972, she was 174.6 meters in length,24.9 meters in beam, and 10 meters in draught, with twin 6-cylinder diesel engines and a single shaft for a speed of 17 knots. The ship had 5 massive cargo holds located forward of the superstructure and 4 gantry cranes, one mounted amidships between each of the tanks.
The ship operated in the service of various companies between the time of her launching and the time of her loss. Shipwrecks of Egypt has found no reference to any of the shipowners except for the owner at the time of the ship’s loss.
The ship operated as the Ryusei Maru until being sold in 1975 when she was renamed Pacific Royal. Sold again in 1981 and named the Linngsbon until being resold yet again in 1987 and being given the name Feng Shun. In 1991 she was renamed the Hope and then sold once again to the Aksonas Shipping Company, Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus, in May 1996 and was renamed Million Hope

The Loss of the Million Hope:
The ship departed Aqaba Jordan on 19 June 1996, enroute to Taiwan with a cargo of 26,000 tons of potash and phosphates (One source states 15,000 tons potash, 11,000 tons phosphate). Early the following morning, 20 June, the ship ran aground on the inshore reef near Naqb which is located a few miles north of Sharm EL-Sheikh.
The reason for the ship’s grounding varies between a fire occurring in the ship’s superstructure, a combination of high speed in low visibility conditions, or a combination of both, depending on which version of the incident one reads. However, there is evidence of there having been a fire onboard.

Sources: Internet