A submarine carrying Russian tourists sank on Egypt’s Red Sea coast on Thursday, with at least four dead, rescuers scrambling to pull people out of the water, according to a news report by the Russian embassy in Egypt and local.
The ship is believed to carry about 45 people, exploring the coral reefs on the coast near Helgada, a popular resort city that is nearly 300 miles southeast of Cairo.
The Russian Embassy said in a statement on social media that four Russian tourists have passed away. Local news media reported that at least six people died, but the figures could not be verified immediately.
News reports said nine people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital where rescuers evacuated 29 people from the water.
The Russian Embassy said the ship was less than a mile from the coast when it sank around 10 a.m. local time. According to the embassy, the submarine is home to the Simbad resort. Recreational submarines are popular among travel agencies along resort towns and resorts to explore the area’s colorful coral reefs.
According to the resort’s website, Simbad Resort has two submarines that can dive into about 25 meters or 82 feet of water, but the vessels did not appear on the search site later that day. The boats can accommodate 44 tourists and tour with two crew members.
Responding to the staff who called the resort’s front desk said the boat belonged to the resort but refused to provide their name. The hotel did not respond to a request for comment.
The Russian Embassy said the trip was organized by Biblio Globus’ Egypt tour. According to the Egyptian Travel Agency Association record sheet, the company is located in Hurghada and cannot be reached for its website.
Egypt has a history of issues involving tourist ships. The UK’s maritime accident investigation department warned tourists that three accidents occurred in less than two years and that travel boats in the Red Sea in the region have poor safety records.
Government agencies said last month that there have been 16 accidents over the past five years, resulting in several deaths. These vessels are often poorly constructed using unqualified emergency routes or run by operators who have not been properly trained to respond in emergencies.
Four people died last November when a ship carrying 44 passengers sank during a six-day dive trip to Marsa Alam, another Red Sea resort. The trip should end in Helgada.
