Egypt: 6 dead after tourist submarine sinks in Red Sea
Cairo: At least six people died and dozens were injured after a submarine carrying 45 tourists sank off the coast of the Red Sea coastal town of Hurghada, the provincial governor said on Thursday.
All six dead were Russian nationals, the governor said. The remaining tourists, more than two dozen of whom were injured, were rescued, he added.
The Russian Embassy in Egypt said earlier in the day that all tourists on board were Russian nationals, but the Egyptian governor said they also included Indian, Norwegian and Swedish citizens.
What do we know about the incident?
The Russian embassy in Egypt posted to Facebook that the accident happened around 10 a.m. local time and that the "Sindbad" submarine sank about 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) offshore.
The cause of the accident is still not known. Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi said in a statement that 29 of the 39 tourists were injured and taken to hospitals.
He said rescue teams were quickly sent when news broke and that the submarine was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crewmembers when it sank.
No one was still missing from the vessel, he said, suggesting the crew had also been rescued.
Sindbad company has been carrying out trips in the Hurghada area for many years and ran 1-to-3 hour tours to give people views of the marine life, according to the website of the company.
Hurghada, a top tourist destination
Hurghada, a bustling coastal city popular for watersports, is about 285 miles (460 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Cairo.
The colorful coral reefs and the abundance of aquatic life that it supports draw tourists from around the world. Egypt's vital tourism sector employs some two million people and accounts for 10% of the country's GDP.
But many companies have stopped or limited traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
Accidents not uncommon
Accidents off the Red Sea coast are not uncommon. In November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warning of rough waters, Egyptian officials said.
At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued.
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