Egypt’s first ship captain says she was wrongly blamed for the Suez Canal disaster – which occurred while she was on a different ship hundreds of miles away.
Marwa Elselehdar, 29, was at sea as the first mate in charge of Aida IV in Alexandria when the huge container ship Ever Given was accidentally trapped on the waterway, the BBC reported.
But online rumors and fake news headlines spread that she was behind the maritime disaster, which blocked the main shipping route for almost a week before Ever Given was released.
“I was shocked. I felt I could be targeted perhaps because I am a successful woman in this field or because I am an Egyptian, but I am not sure,” she told the channel.
The Ever Given captain was not revealed, but Egyptian officials said a human error may have caused the ship to run aground last month.
Elselehdar – who does not work for the shipping company – said the rumors about his involvement appeared to be motivated by a screenshot of an adulterated Arab News headline.
“This fake article was in English, so it has spread to other countries,” Elselehdar told the BBC.
“I tried so hard to deny what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all my efforts to be where I am now.”
The false story led the trolls to go after it too.
“The comments on the article were very negative and harsh, but there were many other supportive comments from ordinary people and people I work with,” she said.
“My message to women who want to be in the maritime field is to fight for what you love and not to allow any negativity to affect you,” she said.