Drama in the Red Sea

Boat sank: dozens of tourists missing in Egypt

Rescue divers in Egypt (symbolic image)

(Bild: APA/AFP )

A tourist boat sank off the Egyptian coast during a diving trip on Monday morning - numerous tourists and crew members are missing. 28 people are said to have already been rescued by the authorities, 17 are still missing.

The excursion boat set sail from Port Ghalib north of Marsa Alam on Sunday and had 31 tourists and a crew of 14 on board when it sank in the water. It was supposed to arrive in Hurghada on November 29. The area where the accident happened is also very popular with Austrian tourists.

Most of the passengers were European
The passengers are said to come from various countries, including four Germans and two Swiss nationals. In addition, around two dozen other Europeans are said to have been on board, according to a source from the newspaper "Al-Masri al-Jum". The Austrian embassy in Cairo is not aware of any victims from Austria.

A picture of the crashed boat:

The scene of the accident is said to be in the Shaab Sataeh area north of Marsa Alam. At 5.30 a.m. a distress signal was sent from the tourist boat Sea Story. The boat then disappeared from the radar and contact was also lost. 

Some tourists rescued from the water
The search for missing persons was still underway late Monday morning. Rescue teams on the water and a helicopter were in action. According to Major General Amr Hanaf, some tourists have already been rescued. They had been taken to medical facilities. Reuters reported that there were 16 survivors.

The Sea Story is a 44-metre-long liveaboard and, according to the operator, has room for 36 passengers in 18 double cabins. It was built in 2022 and offered diving guests the opportunity to explore reefs and wrecks in the Red Sea.