University Daily Kansan, October 14, 1983
Page 7
98 passengers flee boat fire on Nile River
Rv United Press International
CAIRO. Egypt — A fire aboard a riverboat with 98 passengers and crew, including 66 Americans, sent scores of people leaping into the Nile River to escape the waters while others waited to be rescued by fishermen, witnesses said yesterday.
Tour agents said one woman suffered a broken leg but otherwise no serious injuries were reported in the fire, which flared early Tuesday about 2 hours before the crash and sailed from Luxor, 450 miles south of Cairo, on a 14-day cruise of the Nile.
The "Nile Voyager" tour is operated by Travelers, a British company that runs trips throughout Europe and the Middle East, said David Venz, public relations director for New York for TWA, sells and promotes the "Getaway Tour Program."
"I'm glad to be alive," Clifford Crittenden, a passenger on the ship said after he and his wife returned to New York where they were coming out of all the windows."
CRUTTENDEN, A RETIRED airline pilot from Phoenix, Ariz., said that he and his wife, Susan, were among the passengers who jumped overboard from the burning ship.
Other passengers, including many who were elderly or couldn't swim, waited for fishing boats to rescue them. Mrs. Crittenden, who said she could not swim, decided to jump when she saw flames drawing closer.
In Cairo, tour agents said that in addition to the 66 Americans, the ship carried two French tourists, two Egyptian tour guides, and a crew of 28.
The fire began in the air-conditioned bar on the top deck. The cause was electrical, according to a tour guide on the ship.
Fifty-four tourists headed back to New York yesterday, with just the clothing they were wearing when they escaped.
encounter Venze said that most of them lost all their luggage and many lost their passports. But he said that 12 of the tour group decided to complete their tour anyway — by bus.
United Press International
NEW YORK — Judith Sheridan of Long Island City, Queens, hugs her four-year-old daughter Angel at Kennedy Airport after arriving from Egypt, where she and her husband John were rescued from a burning tour boat on the Nile River. Sheridan is wearing a black gown given to her by the poor people of Nagada, Egypt, whom she credits with saving her life.
Continental announces plans to add 14 new flights to its schedule Oct.30
By United Press International
HOUSTON — Continental Airlines, still waiting on its request for a court order to force suppliers to continue serving the carrier, said yesterday that it plans to add 14 new flights to its schedule Oct. 30.
The airline said fares on the new schedule would range from $30 to $125 one way on all nonstop domestic routes.
UNION PILOTS AND flight attendants struck Continental Oct. 1, but enough union members have crossed jet lines to keep the airbags in the pit.
"Toward the end of last week, we began an 8 percent reduction of flying hours to regain scheduling reliability during the strike." Hicks said. "That reduction will be restored effective Oct. 30."
"This (additional flights) will put us
into the city. Continental
spokesman Bruce Huck."
After the carrier declared bankruptcy last month, it slashed its flights from 540 a day to 118.
Meanwhile, the airline pressed its request that a bankruptcy judge order
suppliers to keep serving Continental so it can keep operating while reorganizing as a scaled-down, lower-cost airline.
CONTINENTAL HALTED domestic service and filed for Chapter 11 reorganization Sep. 24. On Sept. 27, Continental resumed service to 25 of 78 U.S. cities and all except three foreign destinations it once served, using one-third the work force at lower pay and longer hours. Pilots and flight attendants struck in protest.
Attorneys for other airlines opposed the preliminary injunction, questioning the need for a broad order
"It's just a question of holding things together until we can regularize these (business) relationships." Continental attorney John Donovan for Bankruptcy Judge R.F. Wheless. "That's really no risk (to creditors)."
Wheless postponed until Friday his ruling on Continental's request that a temporary order requiring continued service be extended as a preliminary injunction until Oct. 31. Meanwhile, he kept the temporary order in effect.
LAWYERS FOR Continental said it was their intention that once the reorganization is completed, all debts will be paid in full.
requiring continued creditor service to Continental. One argued such an order almost amounted to "creditor's prison."
Travel agents' lawyers asked Wheless to order Continental to reimburse travel agents for refunds on tickets Continental is not accepting. They complain Continental is using funds from individuals to keep operating. Wheless postponed action on that request.
Wheless also refused to rule on demands from the Houston Chronicle and The Wall Street Journal that evidence of Continental's business plans taken in secret was suddenly revealed. What she said he allowed Continental to protect sensitive information by holding the meeting in private.
Attorney Rufus Garrett of Fort Worth, representing 10 airlines including Delta, TWA and Republic, said such an order in effect requires these other airlines to extend credit to Continental.
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