Two children are believed to be among six tourists declared dead after a tourist submarine sank in the Egyptian Red Sea.
Emergency services were called out to a harbour in the popular tourist hotspot Hurghada following the incident on Thursday morning.
Egypt’s Red Sea governor said that there were 50 passengers on board the submarine, called Sindbad, of different nationalities, including Russian, Swedish, Indian and Norwegian.
The six tourists that died were all Russian, according to the official. This comes as a Russian official said that two minors had been killed.
The governorate said that no one was missing following the sinking and 39 tourists had been rescued.
The Sindbad has been running tourist trips from the Egyptian destination for several years, and is described as one of only 14 real recreational submarines in the world.
The coastal city of Hurghada is one of the largest resort destinations along the Red Sea coast and attracts large numbers of tourists each year, including Britons.
Key Points
- Children among dead - reports
- Six people confirmed dead
- In pictures: Inside the Sindbad submarine
- Emergency crews rescue 29 passengers
- Mapped: Where the Sindbad submarine sank
Are you in Hurghada? We want to hear from you
11:46 , Bryony GoochIf you’re in the area around Egypt’s Hurghada, we’re interested in hearing from you as this incident develops.
Email: bryony.gooch.ind@independent.co.uk
The Sindbad incident: Everything we know so far
16:41 , Bryony GoochWhat happened?
A tourist submersible called the Sindbad sank off the coast of holiday destination city Hurghada at 10am local time.
The vessel was less than a kilometre from shores, as it was meant to go on an excursion 25 metres deep under the sea.
How many people were onboard?
The Red Sea Governor said 50 passengers were on board the vessel, including five Egyptians. Other passengers came from a number of different nationalities, including Russian, Norwegian, Swedish and Indian.
How many casualties?
Six Russian nationals have been declared dead, two of whom are believed to be children, according to the Russian consul. Some 29 of the 39 tourists rescued were injured and taken to hospitals.
Is anyone missing?
Officials said that no one is missing following the incident.
Questions that remain unanswered following the Sindbad submarine accident
16:20 , Bryony GoochWhile all passengers from the Sindbad are believed to be accounted for, there remain a number of questions unanswered about the incident.
Officials have yet to reveal what caused the submarine accident in the Red Sea. Previous incidents in which vessels have capsized or sunk in the Red Sea have been attributed to high waves.
British officials have previously warned that the diving vessels are of poor safety quality.
The victims of the incident have yet to be publicly named.
In pictures: Red Sea Governor visits those injured
16:02 , Bryony Gooch
Not all passengers were Russian, says Red Sea Governor
15:32 , Bryony GoochRed Sea Governor Amr Hanafi has said that not all the passengers on board the Sindbad were Russian.
The governor said that the submarine was carrying 50 passengers of various nationalities. As well as five Egyptians on board, there were 45 other passengers of various nationalities including Russian, Indian, Norwegian and Swedish.
WATCH: Red Sea governor visits injured survivors of Sindbad submarine accident
15:22 , Bryony GoochRed Sea Governor says 'ill-fated' submarine had valid license
15:04 , Bryony GoochThe Red Sea Governor said in a visit to tourists caught up in the Sindbad accident that the submarine had a valid license and the crew leader had the required academic qualifications.
In a statement on social media, Amr Hanafi described the submarine as “ill-fated”, per translation, and said that there was “continued coordination and communication with all embassies, consulates, and relevant authorities to provide all necessary facilities, obtain all required paperwork for passengers, and provide all aspects of healthcare.”
In pictures: Boats scour the coast after a tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea
14:54 , Bryony Gooch
No one missing from the sinking of tourist submarine, Red Sea Governorate confirms
14:41 , Bryony GoochEgypt’s Red Sea Governorate have confirmed that there are no missing people in the sinking of Sindbad, everyone is accounted for. They added that 39 tourists were rescued.
They further confirmed that the six foreigners killed in the sinking were all Russians. This comes as an official from Russia told Tass news agency that “at least five” Russians were killed, including two children.
The Russian console in Hurghada told the country’s state news agency RIA Novosti said 14 survivors were admitted to hospital and the rest returned to their hotel.
Children among dead - reports
14:20 , Athena StavrouTwo children are believed to have died in the submarine accident in Hurghada.
A Russian official speaking to Russia's Tass news agency confirmed that at least five Russians have been killed, including the two minors.
Earlier, Egyptian authorities confirmed six people had died, but the nationality of the sixth is still unclear.
Emergency crews were able to rescue at least 38 Russians, the Russian consul in Hurghada told the country's state news agency RIA Novosti.
The report said 14 of them were hospitalised and the rest returned to their hotel.
Ten flights today from Russia to Hurghada
13:45 , Simon CalderEgypt is extremely popular with Russian holidaymakers – due to its warm weather, low costs and proximity to many key cities.
Hurghada is under 2,000 miles from Moscow.On Thursday, 10 flights are scheduled to arrive at Hurghada airport from four Russian cities, including six from Moscow alone.
Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent closure of airspace, planes take circuitous routes to avoid the Black Sea.
Egyptair is able to use European airspace, routing over the Balkans, Poland and the Baltics, taking over five hours.
Russian airlines are banned from European skies and fly well to the east, extending journey times.
What do we know so far?
13:30 , Athena StavrouWhat happened?
A tourist submarine, called The Sinbad, was taking passengers to explore coral reefs at around 10am local time.
It crashed and sank 1km off the shore of Hurghada in the Egyptian Red Sea.
The cause of the sinking has not been confirmed.
Who was on board?
The submarine was carrying 45 Russian nationals, according to the Russian Embassy in Cairo.
The embassy confirmed in a statement that children were also on board, and an unspecified number of crew members.
How many people have died?
At least six people are dead, according to Hurghada’s local government office.
Of the passengers on board, 29 have been rescued, with a further nine injured.
Shoddy boats, defective safety equipment and poorly trained crew: UK marine investigators
13:17 , Simon CalderSafety standards of vessels operating in the Red Sea were heavily criticised last month by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).
Investigators looked at the loss of the dive boat Sea Story, which capsized and foundered south of Port Ghalib in Egypt on 25 November 2024. Eleven people drowned or are presumed dead.
They also studied previous dive-boat sinking.The investigators were focused on dive boats, but their observations show Egyptian maritime safety in a poor light.
“The dive boats involved were poorly constructed and often substantially modified/extended, which resulted in some vessels exhibiting inadequate stability.
“Essential lifesaving equipment was defective, out-of-date for service and, in some cases, missing.
“The rapid spread of fire is indicative of poor structural fire protection, and items of essential safety equipment, such as fire detection systems and fire extinguishers, were either missing or defective.
“Emergency escape routes were via lockable doors, had no emergency lighting and were unmarked.
“Safety briefings to passengers were of a poor standard or not conducted at all.
“Crews appeared poorly trained and were unfamiliar with their vessels.”
The MAIB report also charts earlier incidents. On 24 April 2023, dive boat Carlton Queen capsized and foundered near Hurghada, Egypt with 33 people on board.
All passengers and crew were rescued though several were injured, including UK nationals.On 11 June 2023, dive boat Hurricane caught fire and was abandoned near Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea.
Of the 29 people on board, three UK passengers remain unaccounted for and are believed to have perished.
In pictures: The area where a tourist submarine sank off the coast of Hurghada
12:58 , Bryony Gooch
UK government issued warning over Red Sea dive boat holidays in February after 16 accidents over five years
12:43 , Bryony GoochThe Marine Accident Investigation Branch issued a safety warning for people looking to book liveaboard diving holidays on the Red Sea in February this year.
They reported 16 accidents involving liveaboard dive vessels operating in the Red Sea over the last five years.
Three of these dive boats had been lost in the last 21 months, resulting in numerous deaths including some UK nationals.
The UK government organisation recommended prospective customers only book these holidays through “reputable vendors who can provide assurance about the safety standards applicable to the dive boat.”
“On arrival on board, customers should request that the crew provide a thorough safety briefing before departure.”
Amelia Neath reports:
Warning issued over Red Sea dive boat holidays after Egypt boat disaster
In pictures: Injured tourists have been taken to the hospital
12:29 , Bryony Gooch
In pictures: Hurghada, the holiday destination where six people died in a submersible accident
12:20 , Bryony Gooch
Submarine crashed 1km from shoreline, says embassy
12:17 , Bryony GoochThe Russian Embassy confirmed that the Sindbad submersible, owned by a hotel of the same name, crashed one kilometre away from the shore in Hurghada.
Russian Embassy statement reveals minors were on board the Sindbad
12:08 , Bryony GoochThe Russian Embassy shared a statement on Facebook: “On March 27, at about 10am, the Sindbad bathyscaphe, owned by the hotel of the same name, crashed 1km off the shore. In addition to the crew, there were 45 tourists on board, including minors."
“The bathyscaphe was carrying out a regular underwater excursion with inspection of the coral reef. In addition to the crew members, there were 45 tourists on board, including minors. All of them are Russian citizens, tourists of the company Biblio Globus.
“According to initial data, most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada. Their health condition does not cause concern. Four people died. The fate of several tourists is being clarified.
“Diplomats of the Consulate General are on the pier of the Sindbad Hotel.”
International Maritime Organisation 'aware' of Sindbad incident
12:02 , Bryony GoochA spokeswoman for the International Maritime Organisation told The Independent: "We are aware of the reported incident.
"Search and rescue operations are led by the relevant national authorities and if within Egyptian waters, normally domestic regulations would apply.
"IMO has developed and issued guidelines on the design, construction and operation of passenger submersible craft which provide internationally agreed safety standards for their design and operation.
“They apply to submersible craft adapted to accommodate passengers and are intended for underwater excursions with the pressure in the passenger compartment at or near one atmosphere.”
Mapped: Where the Sindbad submarine sank
11:51 , Bryony GoochRussian Embassy claims all tourists on board Sindbad were Russian
11:36 , Bryony GoochThe Russian Embassy has released a statement following the accident on board the Sindbad submarine declaring that, in addition to the crew members, there were 45 Russian citizens on board including minors.
They said all of them were tourists of the company "Biblio Globus" (the host tour company in Egypt is "Biblio Globus Egypt Tours").
Victims of Sindbad accident were 'foreigners', says Red Sea Governorate
11:32 , Bryony GoochThe Governorate’s Office has declared that six foreigners, whose nationalities are still unknown, were killed on Thursday when a tourist submarine sank off Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Hurghada.
Six people confirmed dead
11:32 , Sam RkainaSix people have died and nine others are injured after a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, two municipal officials said.
Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the Red Sea governorate.
The submarine was sailing off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area, and it had carried 45 tourists of various nationalities.
It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink.
Many tourist companies have stopped or limited traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
In pictures: Inside the Sindbad submarine which has had an accident off the Red Sea
11:26 , Bryony Gooch
Emergency crews rescue 29 passengers on the Sindbad
11:23 , Bryony GoochEmergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the Red Sea governorate.
The submarine was sailing off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area, and it had carried 45 tourists of various nationalities.
Red Sea coast has history of tourist boast accidents
11:20 , Bryony GoochThis is not the first time a tourist boat has had an accident in Hurghada.
In November, a tourist boat called the Sea Story sank, leaving 11 dead or missing - including a British couple. There were 35 survivors.
Alex Croft reported here:
At least six people feared dead
11:10 , Sam RkainaAt least six people are feared dead after a tourist submarine sank off in the Egyptian Red Sea.
Multiple ambulances have been deployed to the coastal city of Hurghada which is popular with British travellers, with at least another nine people injured.
The submarine, called Sindbad, has been in operation for years and sank close to the harbour, according to reports.
The injured, including four in critical condition, were taken to nearby hospitals. Twenty-nine other passengers were rescued.
The cause of the sinking has not been confirmed.
