At least six people have died and nine have been injured after a tourist submarine carrying 45 people sank in Egypt's Red Sea, authorities said on Thursday.
The vessel went down after setting off from the harbour in the tourist promenade area in the coastal city of Hurghada. The sub was heading for an underwater tour of local coral reefs.
The Russian Embassy in Egypt said in a post on Facebook Thursday that all of the tourists on the submarine “Sindbad,” which operated from a hotel of the same name, were Russian nationals. The embassy added that four have been confirmed dead, while it awaits further information on others.
The death toll was later reported as five, of which two are children, according to Russia's state-run agency Tass.
Emergency crews were able to rescue 38 people, according to the Russian consul in Hurghada.
It was not clear if any crew members or tourists from other countries were among the casualties or what caused the sub to sink. According to reports, the Sindbad has a total capacity of 50.
It's not the first incident involving tourist boats sinking in the Red Sea. In November last year, a tourist boat called the Sea Story sank, leaving 11 dead or missing and 35 survivors.
