A verdict in the compensation battle waged by survivors of the Al Dana dhow disaster has been delayed for at least another month.

Lawyers representing more than 20 survivors were anticipating a verdict from the Civil Court yesterday.

However, the court adjourned the hearing until May 25 after ordering that evidence used in a criminal trial following the tragedy should be included in the civil suit, according to a report in our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN).

Lawyers of the Bahraini dhow owner, Abdulla Al Kobaisi, earlier this month denied that at least 20 survivors were yet to reach out-of-court settlements.

However, those acting on behalf of survivors yesterday said they represented 25 people who are still pursuing compensation.

One of the survivors also told the GDN that another five were pursuing claims separately - taking the total number of people seeking compensation through the courts to at least 30.

He said those 30 included Bahrainis, Britons, South Africans, Indians, Pakistanis, a Filipino, Thai and Taiwanese.

The survivor, who declined to be named, welcomed the judge's decision yesterday to include court papers from the criminal case.

'It is disappointing that there has been another adjournment,' he admitted.

'But we have always said we will be patient and let the justice system in Bahrain run its course.

'The bottom line is he (the dhow owner) has already been found guilty in the criminal case, so he has to be found negligent in this case.

'There can be no other verdict.'

Yesterday's hearing took place exactly two weeks after the fourth anniversary of the Al Dana disaster, in which 58 people died.

The dhow capsized during a Nass, Murray and Roberts party to celebrate the completion of concreting work at the Bahrain World Trade Centre on March 30, 2006.

The South African company had hired the dhow from Island Tours, which in turn leased it from the Abdulla Al Kobaisi Company for Travel and Tourism.

Al Kobaisi and the dhow's Indian captain, Rajendra Kumar Ramjibhai, were both convicted of manslaughter.

The latter was sentenced to three years in jail, but was released early due to good behaviour in August 2008 and deported.

Al Kobaisi was sentenced to five years in jail, but was spared prison after offering to compensate survivors of the tragedy and the relatives of victims.

However, a spokesman for the survivors earlier said those still pursuing compensation would not accept any agreement that allowed Al Kobaisi and anyone else found responsible to avoid going to jail.-TradeArabia News Service