At least six people have been killed after a tourist submarine sank off the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, according to local authorities.
Egypt’s Red Sea governorate confirmed that six Russians died and that 39 foreign tourists were rescued after the submarine sank off a beach in the tourist promenade area on Thursday.
It said there were no missing people in the wake of the rescue effort.
The submarine was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crewmembers when it sank, Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi said in a statement, adding that rescue teams were quickly sent.
Russia’s consulate in Hurghada confirmed the submarine, named “Sindbad”, was carrying “45 tourists” in addition to crew when it “crashed 1 kilometre from the shore” at about 10am local time (08:00 GMT).
“Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada,” the consulate said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink, with weather conditions on Thursday reportedly clear with optimum visibility underwater.
Egypt’s Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper said investigations into the cause of the incident were under way.
The submarine was equipped with large portholes to let passengers see the Red Sea’s spectacular corals and marine life, and able to dive to a depth of 25 metres (82 feet), according to Sindbad Submarines’s website.
Located about 460 kilometres (280 miles) southeast of the Egyptian capital Cairo, Hurghada is a major destination for visitors to Egypt, many of whom are Russian.
The area has been the site of several deadly accidents in recent years.
In November, a dive boat capsized off the coast of Marsa Alam, south of Hurghada, leaving four dead and seven missing.
Last June, two dozen French tourists were safely evacuated before their boat sank after storm damage.
In 2023, three British tourists died after a fire broke out on their yacht, engulfing their vessel in flames.
A United Nations report ranked Egypt first in Africa for tourism revenues in 2024 at $14.1bn, more than twice what it earns in Suez Canal revenues.
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