Egyptian authorities said 17 people were missing, including foreigners, and 28 people had been rescued after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea.
The Red Sea province governor said the distress signal was received at 05:30 (03:30 GMT) from Sea Story, which left port near Marsa Alam on Saturday for a five-day diving trip with 31 guests. cruise ship and 14 crew members. .
Red Sea Governor Major General Amr Hanafi said survivors were found in the Wadi el-Gemal area, south of Marsa Alam, and they were receiving the necessary medical care.
He added that the Egyptian Navy’s El Fateh warship and military aircraft are stepping up efforts to search for missing people.
“Intensive search operations are being conducted in coordination with the navy and armed forces,” Hanafi said.
Authorities have not said the possible cause of the incident.
On Saturday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority predicted chaos in the Mediterranean and Red Sea due to the weather, and warned people against activities at sea on Sunday and Monday.
Wind speed is about 60-70 km/h, waves are 3 to 4 meters high.
According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the Sea Story’s crew were all Egyptian and tourists on board included five Spaniards, four Britons, four Germans and two American citizens. It is unclear who among the people was rescued and who is still missing.
A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office said they were in contact with the authorities and were “supporting a number of British nationals and their families following the incident in Egypt”.
Marsa Alam is a popular tourist destination on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast and is surrounded by diving spots, including famous coral reefs.
There was no immediate comment from Sea Story’s Egypt-based owner and operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard.
But its website says the ship was built in 2022 and is 44m (144ft) long. It has four floors and 18 cabins that can accommodate up to 36 passengers.
