Overview

The SS Champollion, liner of the Maritime Messengers Company and assigned to the Egypt-Syria express line (Alexandria, Port Said, Beirut), had to transport emigrants to Palestine and Port Said. On December 22, 1952, following a confusion between the Beirut airport lighthouse and the one at the Al Manara port, the crew carried out an operation that rushed the ship onto the breakers 600 meters from the shore. Due to a storm, the lifeboats close to the tragedy were unable to respond, leaving the passengers trapped in the wreckage. At the end, it was thanks to three Lebanese brothers named Baltagi, who succeeded in docking the ship, that a large number of passengers were saved.