Six people were killed Thursday in the sinking of a submarine carrying dozens of Russian tourists off the Hurghada seaside resort on the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea, the state media reported.
The Russian Consulate in Hurghada said in a statement that the submarine carried “45 Russian tourists, including minors”, and that four people died.
The Sindbad Submarines website, owner of the ship according to the newspaper Akhbar El-Yom, said the ship could transport 44 passengers up to 25 meters deep.
“According to first information, most people on board have been rescued and transferred to their hotels or in hospitals in Hurghada,” said the consulate.
A source of Egyptian emergency services, quoted by the official Russian news agency Ria Novosti, reported the death of “five foreigners and an Egyptian”.
Local authorities did not comment immediately.
Akhbar El-Yom said that an investigation was underway to determine the causes of the accident.
Fatal accidents
Hurghada, located about 460 km south-east of Cairo, is a major tourist destination.
Its airport welcomed more than nine million passengers last year, according to official media.
The weather forecast for Thursday was clear: winds higher than average were reported, but underwater visibility was optimal.
While dozens of tourist boats crisscross the coastal area daily to practice diving, Sindbad Submarines claims to use the “only” real pleasure submarine in the region.
This ship has been operational in the region for several years, according to a source close to the company.
The coral reefs of the Red Sea and the islands off the east coast of Egypt constitute major attractions, contributing to the country’s vital tourism sector, which employs two million people and generates more than 10% of GDP.
The region has been the scene of several fatal accidents in recent years.
In November, difficult weather conditions caused the capacity of a diving yacht off the coast of Marsa Alam, about 300 km south of Hurghada, killing four and seven missing.
Thirty people had been rescued from another boat in perdition, while in June, around twenty French tourists were evacuated safe and sound before their boat flowed in a similar accident.
In 2023, three British tourists perished when a fire had declared itself on their yacht.