VARIOUS VIEWS OF "DAHLIA" & CREW: VARIOUS VIES "HEY DAROMA" & CREW.




Initials LD/VS/PNG/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: TWO ISRAEL SHIPS--THE BULK CARRIER "DAHLIA" AND THE TOURIST CRUISE SHIP "HEY DAROMA"--WERE SABOTAGED IN A DARING UNDER-WATER ATTACK EFFECTED BY EGYPTIAN RAIDERS IN THE EARLY HOURS OF YESTERDAY MORNING (MONDAY) AS THEY LAY AT BERTH IN THE PORT OF EILAT ON THE RED SEA.

IN THE RAID, WHICH CAME SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT, FIVE EXPLOSIONS ROCKED EILAT HARBOUR--WHICH DATES FROM THE TIME OF KING SOLOMON.

THE FREIGHTER "DAHLIA", LOADED WITH 10,000 TONS OF PHOSPHATE BOUND FOR JAPAN, HAD FUEL TANK DAMAGE AND ITS HULL WAS HOLED IN THREE PLACES--BUT DOUBLE-HEADED BULKHEADS PREVENTED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO SHIP AND CARGO.

THE "HEY DAROMA", WHICH CARRIES TOURISTS FROM EILAT TO SHARM-EL-SHEIKH AT THE TIP OF THE SINAI PENINSULA, HAD ONE LARGE HOLE IN ITS SIDE--AND, IN SPITE OF A LIST AS ITS STERN FILLED WITH WATER, WAS ABLE TO SAIL ON ITS OWN STEAM TO SHORE WHERE IT WAS BEACHED FOR REPAIRS. IT HAD BEEN DUE TO LEAVE ON A CRUISE TODAY.

ALTHOUGH AN OFFICIAL ISRAELI COMMUNIQUE MERELY ANNOUNCED THE SABOTAGE, AND STATED THAT DAMAGE TO BOTH SHIPS HAD BEEN RELATIVELY SLIGHT, REPORTS INDICATE THAT ISRAEL IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED AT THE BOLDNESS OF THE ATTACK AGAINST EILAT--A PORT OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY AND SECURITY.