Six killed, dozens injured as tourist submarine sinks in Red Sea off Egypt
At least six Russian tourists, two of them children, died when an Egyptian commercial submarine carrying 50 people sank in the Red Sea near the resort city of Hurghada.
The Red Sea Governorate said the submarine had 50 people on board, 45 tourists and five crew, Reuters reported.
The tourists were of nationalities including Russia, India, Norway and Sweden, Reuters said. The five crew members were from Egypt. Of the 39 tourists rescued, 21 were in the hospital, CNN reported.
The sub sank less than a mile from shore in Hurghada's harbor at about 10 a.m. local time, according to the BBC. Reports said the weather was calm.
It was not known why the submarine sank. The BBC cited unconfirmed reports that said the sub struck a reef and lost pressure at a depth of about 65 feet. The sub operates at a maximum depth of 82 feet.
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Rescue boats and other tourist boats raced to the scene along with more than a dozen ambulances, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm, a local media outlet.
The submarine, known as Sindbad, was operated by a commercial tourist company called Sindbad Submarines. It takes adults and children on cruises to view undersea coral reefs along the coastline.
Profile of the Sindbad Tours submarine
The sub had been operating for several years, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm. Tourists take a boat ride from a marina to the submarine, then descend into the waters to the view the scenery while divers work to divert fish to within view.
The submarine was equipped with large portholes to let passengers see underwater. Tours last about three hours, according to the company's website.
The Red Sea is a major hub for Egypt's crucial tourism industry and is a pillar of the economy, in which Russian tourists play an increasing part. Egypt also attracts tourists with its great pyramids of Giza and cruises on the Nile in Luxor and Aswan.
CONTRIBUTING John Bacon
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters
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