Survivors of one of Bahrain's worst disasters have been left angry and frustrated as their battle for compensation shows no sign of concluding.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Al Dana dhow disaster, in which 58 people died and 72 injured.

The High Civil Court case, in which 46 people are seeking damages from the vessel's owner Abdulla Al Kobaisi, was last adjourned to April 20 as the judge sought to summon the vessel's captain.

It was the third consecutive time Rajendra Kumar Ramjibhai had been ordered to court.

He has been called to Bahrain through an official announcement in the Official Gazette, despite earlier being convicted by the criminal courts, serving his sentence and being deported.

'There is nothing that we can do, except just wait and wait,' said survivor Khalil Mirza Al Bahrani.

'I will never forget that day, it is always in my mind and we will always remember those who died.'

Another survivor expressed his anger at the lack of closure in the case and revealed how he had been too scared to enter the sea since that day of the disaster on March 30, 2006.

'Of course I am angry and I don't know what is going to happen with the case,' said Redha Jassim.

'Before the incident, I used to go fishing or on a speedboat every weekend, but since that night I am too scared to go near the sea.

'We will never forget those that died that day.'

A female survivor said no one appeared to acknowledge the severity of the case anymore.

'In the beginning so much time was spent on the case, but now we have been waiting and waiting for the end,' said the woman, who did not want to be named.

'I remember everything so clearly about, perhaps more so now because of all this time and I want a final time limit now so we can reach the end of this.

'Everyone affected by this has been cheated.'

Indian survivor Subramanian Andiappan said the memories of that night will never be forgotten.

'I was in the sea for 45 minutes and that will always be on my mind,' he said.

'I have lost all hope with the court case now, I have been so many times and the last two times I just didn't go.'

'It is not about the money any more, we have built our new lives since then and now it is just about the justice that we deserve.

'I don't have any fear of the sea or swimming, but I don't go swimming because I don't want to remember that night at all.'

One other survivor, who did not want to be named, earlier said he no longer wanted to be questioned about the disaster because it brought back too many bad memories.

The disaster happened when the Al Dana dhow capsized during a Nass, Murray and Roberts party to celebrate the completion of concreting work at the Bahrain World Trade Centre.

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

The dhow's Bahraini owner Abdulla Al Kobaisi and his Indian captain Ramjibhai were convicted of manslaughter.

Ramjibhai was jailed for three years, but was released in August 2008 on account of good behaviour while serving his sentence and was deported to India.

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

Forty-six survivors, including Bahrainis, Britons, South Africans, Indians, Pakistanis, Filipino, Thai and Taiwanese, are involved in separate civil claims for compensation.-TradeArabia News Service