A submarine sinks in the Red Sea off Egypt, killing six Russians and saving 39 tourists

The local governor’s office posted on Facebook that a viewing submarine sank off the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Egypt, on Thursday, killing six Russians and saving 39 foreign tourists. No passengers or crew were reported missing.

The Red Sea Governorate reported that the “Sindbad” submarine carried 50 passengers, including five Egyptian crew members and 45 tourists of various nationalities from Russia, India, Norway, and Sweden.

“Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada,” the Russian consulate in Hurghada reported.

According to the company’s website, the submarine could drop to a depth of 25 meters and had wide portholes that allowed passengers to view the Red Sea’s amazing reefs and marine life.

The extreme adventure submersible that exploded thousands of meters below the Atlantic near the sinking Titanic in June 2023 was a far cry from the pleasure vessel.

The Red Sea serves as a major hub for Egypt’s vital tourism sector, which is a key economic pillar and in which Russian visitors are becoming more and more prevalent. Egypt’s huge pyramids at Giza and its Nile cruises in Luxor and Aswan are other tourist attractions.

Islamist militant groups that have previously harmed the travel and tourist sector by attacking foreigners have been successfully suppressed by successive Egyptian administrations.

Red Sea Province Governor Amr Hanafy was quoted by the local administration as saying that Egyptian officials are investigating the submarine sinking by speaking with crew members.

According to him, both the crew captain and the submarine, which is owned by an Egyptian, have licenses.

Tourist boats have capsized a number of times recently. Despite no recorded injuries, a boat sank last June after being severely damaged by heavy seas.

Additionally, a tourist boat carrying 31 visitors and 13 staff members on a multi-day diving excursion capsized in November. The tragedy, which was also attributed to high waves, claimed the lives of at least 11 people, according to local media.

The Sea Story had passed a safety check eight months prior, according to the Red Sea province’s governor at the time.

After undergoing maintenance, a tourist boat capsized last month while traveling to Hurghada.

Requests for comment from Reuters were not answered by the Chamber of Diving or the Tourism Ministry.

With $14.1 billion in 2024 tourism receipts, more than double its Suez Canal earnings, Egypt was placed top in Africa by a United Nations assessment, underscoring the importance of tourism in supporting the struggling economy.