South African engineering firm Murray & Roberts intends proceeding with the construction of the World Trade Centre project in Bahrain, despite the tragedy that struck when the project reached an important milestone.

CEO Brian Bruce on Friday confirmed that ten Murray & Roberts employees, working in joint-venture with Bahraini contractor Nass, died in the ferry tragedy, which claimed the lives of 57 people off the coast of Bahrain.

He said that four the deceased employees and a spouse were South African. Of the other five deceased Murray & Roberts employees, three were British, two Indian and one Pakastani.

Fifteen Murray & Robeerts employees had been confirmed safe, though with minor injuries.

Some 120 Murray and Robert workers, subcontractors, spouses and partners were on board of the ferry, which a Bahraini agency had chartered to enable the employees to celebrate the completion of the concrete structure on the $150-million World Trade Centre project, located in the financial centre, the Bahraini capital, Manama.

Bruce expressed the company’s deepest regret over the loss of employees and said that the loss of senior- and junior-management staff would be problematic to the company.

However, despite the loss of skills, he said that Murray & Roberts intended to achieve timeous delivery of the project, which would be completed in just over 12 months.

Bruce reported that the company had sent a crisis-management team to Bahrain from its Dubai office early on Friday morning, and had established direct communication with the survivors of the ferry tragedy.

Murray & Roberts representatives from Johannesburg and London were scheduled to arrive in Bahrain late on Friday.

He reported that Murray & Roberts were dealing with the Department of Foreign Affairs and an undertaking firm to coordinate the return of the bodies.

Bruce added that a corporate team in Johannesburg, Dubai and London was dealing with the human side of the tragedy and that trauma counselling for everyone affected would follow.

He was not sure how the incident would affect Murray & Roberts’ safety record and whether the company has to report on it.

Murray & Roberts is well established in the Middle East and employs some 220 people in that area, mainly in Dubai. Around 15% to 20% of these are South Africans.