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27-11-2024
CAIRO: Egyptian authorities say 16 people are missing, including foreigners, and 28 have been rescued after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea.
Two of those missing are British, the media understands. Finland has confirmed one of their nationals is unaccounted for, while authorities say four Egyptians are also missing.
The boat with 44 people on board including 13 crew sent a distress signal at 05:30 (03:30 GMT), according to the governor of Red Sea province.
Authorities have not indicated the possible cause of the incident, but added accounts of people onboard mentioned a wave hit the boat and caused it to capsize. Weather forecasters had warned against marine activities for Sunday and Monday.
The Sea Story left port near Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving trip, according to officials.
Red Sea Governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi said the survivors were found in the Wadi el-Gemal area, south of Marsa Alam, and that they were receiving the necessary medical care.
He added the Egyptian Navy warship El Fateh and military aircraft were intensifying their efforts to locate the missing, with rescue teams working around the clock.
On Saturday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority forecast turbulence on the Mediterranean and Red Seas due to the weather.
Wind speeds were between 37-43 mph (60-70 km/h), and wave heights were three to four metres (10-13ft) high, they said.
According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the crew of the Sea Story are all Egyptians and the tourists on board included five Spanish, four British, four Germans and two US nationals.
It is unclear who is among the rescued and who is still missing, but the Red Sea governorate’s latest report said four Egyptians remained unaccounted for.
The Finnish foreign ministry confirmed to media that one of its nationals is also among the missing.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said they were in contact with the authorities, and were providing “support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt”.
The Chinese embassy in Egypt confirmed two of its nationals were “in good health” after being rescued, according to their state media, as reported by witnesses.
Meanwhile, Polish foreign ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski, told state-run Polish news agency PAP that authorities had information that two Polish citizens may have been aboard the boat.
Earlier reports from Egyptian authorities said there had been 45 people on the Sea Story when it sank, 14 crew and 31 tourists.
Marsa Alam is a popular destination for tourists on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast and is surrounded by diving spots, including renowned coral reefs.
The Red Sea governorate said the boat was owned by an Egyptian national, and had received a one-year validity certificate in March 2024 when it was inspected by maritime safety.
Hanafi said there were no technical faults at the time of the incident, adding that reports from survivors said the boat capsized after being hit by a large wave, all of which took five to seven minutes.
He also visited Marsa Alam to see the people rescued, and said they were all in good health, and no-one had needed admission to hospital. The passengers are being received in a tourist hotel in the area, he added.
There was no immediate comment from Sea Story’s Egypt-based owner and operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard. (Int’l News Desk)
