Closing summary
Six 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. AP reported that the officials were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
The incident, involving a recreational vessel operated by Sindbad Submarines, occurred in waters opposite Hurghada’s Marriot Hotel resort. Citing municipal officials, Reuters and Associated Press reported that six foreigners, whose nationalities are still unknown, had died. It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink.
The Russian embassy in Egypt has said that that all of the tourists on board the submarine were Russian. It said 45 passengers were on board the vessel, including children, in a Facebook post.
The Russian consulate in Hurghada said the submarine, named “SINDBAD”, had 45 Russian tourists on board in addition to crew members. The consulate said four people had died, but did not specify if they were Russian, Reuters reported.
The local governorate’s office told Reuters that all of those confirmed dead were foreign citizens, while survivors had been ferried by ambulance to several hospitals in the city. Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the governorate. Many tourist companies have stopped or limited travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
The Sindbad club’s website says it offers short tourist trips in two submarines that it operates that have a maximum depth range of 25 metres. According to the website its submarines allow tourists to “experience the beauty of the Red Sea’s underwater world without getting wet”.
The website for Sinbad Submarines, the company that operated the submarine that sank in the Red Sea on Thursday, appears to be no longer working. It is unclear if the website has been taken down or if technical difficulties are to blame.
The submarine, named “Sindbad,” runs one to three hour tours, usually cruising at about 20-25 metres (65-80 feet) underwater with panoramic windows on the bottom to give views of the marine life, according to the website of the company that the Russian consulate identified as running the vessel. The company did not respond to phone calls seeking comment, AP reported.
Egyptian authorities are conducting investigations with crew members to determine the causes of the submarine sinking, the local governorate cited Red Sea Province governor Amr Hanafy as saying. The submarine, which is owned by an Egyptian, was licensed and so was the crew captain, he said.
That’s all from me, Tom Ambrose, and from this blog. Thank you for following along.
For the latest news lines from this story, please see our full report below:
Egyptian authorities are conducting investigations with crew members to determine the causes of the submarine sinking, the local governorate cited Red Sea Province governor Amr Hanafy as saying.
The submarine, which is owned by an Egyptian, was licensed and so was the crew captain, he said.
There have been several recent incidents of tourist boats capsizing. Last June, a boat sank after suffering severe damage from high waves, though no casualties were reported.
The submarine, named “Sindbad,” runs one to three hour tours, usually cruising at about 20-25 metres (65-80 feet) underwater with panoramic windows on the bottom to give views of the marine life, according to the website of the company that the Russian consulate identified as running the vessel.
The company did not respond to phone calls seeking comment, AP reported.
Six Russians killed, 39 tourists rescued after submarine sinks off Egypt, governorate says
The six foreigners who were killed in the sinking of a tourist submarine off the Egyptian Red Sea coast were all Russians, Egypt’s Red Sea governorate said on Facebook on Thursday.
A total of 39 foreign tourists were rescued and no one else was missing, the governorate added.
The website for Sinbad Submarines, the company that operated the submarine that sank in the Red Sea on Thursday, appears to be no longer working.
It is unclear if the website has been taken down or if technical difficulties are to blame.
More when we have it.
A Russian official in Hurghada, Viktor Voropaev, has told the BBC that at least five Russians were killed in the submarine accident, including two children.
The Guardian has been unable to verify this.
Updated
It is now being reported that emergency crews were able to rescue at least 38 Russian passengers on board the sunken “Sinbad” submarine, the AP reports.
The Russian consulate in Hurghada said that 45 Russians were on board Sindbad, which operated from a hotel of the same name.
The submarine has a capacity of 50 people, but it is not known how many crewmembers or other tourists were on board.
Updated
Sinbad Submarines, who operated the vessel that sank in the Red Sea on Thursday, say their company owns two among “14 real recreational submarines in the world.”
According to the company’s website, their submarines explore “500 metres of coral reef and its marine inhabitants.”
What caused the vessel to sink remains unclear. When that information is verified, it will be posted here.
Updated
Here’s a map showing where the submarine sank in the Red Sea.
Hurghada, a resort about 280 miles (460 kilometres) southeast of the Egyptian capital Cairo, is a major destination for visitors to Egypt, with its airport receiving more than nine million passengers last year, according to state media.
Updated
It is still unclear what caused the submarine to sink.
In November, four people drowned and 33 were rescued when a tourist diving boat was struck by high waves and sank within minutes.
Another boat sank in June after storm damage, the environment ministry said at the time, although no casualties were reported.
However, Thursday’s forecast in the city was clear, with above average winds reported but optimum visibility underwater.
The Russian consulate in Hurghada said the submarine, named “SINDBAD”, had 45 Russian tourists on board in addition to crew members.
The consulate said four people had died, but did not specify if they were Russian, Reuters reported.
“According to initial data, most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada,” the consulate said.
The fate of several tourists was still being clarified, the consulate added.
Local media reported that rescue teams had saved 29 of the 45 passengers aboard the submarine.
What we know so far
Six 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. AP reported that the officials were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
The incident, involving a recreational vessel operated by Sindbad Submarines, occurred in waters opposite Hurghada’s Marriot Hotel resort. Citing municipal officials, Reuters and Associated Press reported that six foreigners, whose nationalities are still unknown, had died. It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink.
The Russian embassy in Egypt has said that that all of the tourists on board the submarine were Russian. It said 45 passengers were on board the vessel, including children, in a Facebook post.
The local governorate’s office told Reuters that all of those confirmed dead were foreign citizens, while survivors had been ferried by ambulance to several hospitals in the city. Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the governorate. Many tourist companies have stopped or limited travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
The Sindbad club’s website says it offers short tourist trips in two submarines that it operates that have a maximum depth range of 25 metres. According to the website its submarines allow tourists to “experience the beauty of the Red Sea’s underwater world without getting wet”.
Here is an image of one of the two submarines owned by operator Sindbad Submarines:
Updated
At least six people have reportedly died and nine have been injured after a 44-seater tourist submarine sunk off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
The incident, involving a recreational vessel operated by Sindbad Submarines, occurred in waters opposite Hurghada’s Marriot Hotel resort.
Citing municipal officials, Reuters and Associated Press reported that six foreigners, whose nationalities are still unknown, had died. It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink.
The Sindbad club’s website says it offers short tourist trips in two submarines that it operates that have a maximum depth range of 25 metres.
According to the website its submarines allow tourists to “experience the beauty of the Red Sea’s underwater world without getting wet”.
The local governorate’s office told Reuters that all of those confirmed dead were foreign citizens, while survivors had been ferried by ambulance to several hospitals in the city.
Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the governorate.
Many tourist companies have stopped or limited travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
Updated
The incident, involving a recreational vessel operated by Sindbad Submarines, occurred in waters opposite Hurghada’s Marriot Hotel resort.
The Sindbad club’s website says it offers short tourist trips in two submarines that it operates that have a maximum depth range of 25 metres.
According to the website its submarines allow tourists to “experience the beauty of the Red Sea’s underwater world without getting wet”.
Updated
All tourists on board submarine were Russian, says Russian embassy
The Russian embassy in Egypt has said that that all of the tourists on board the submarine were Russian.
It said 45 passengers were on board the vessel, including children, in a Facebook post.
The post said that four people have died, BBC News reports.
Six people have died and nine others are injured after a tourist submarine sank in the Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, it has been reported.
Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the Red Sea governorate.
Here is a map showing where the incident occurred:
Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the Red Sea governorate.
The submarine, which was sailing off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area, had carried 45 tourists of various nationalities, AP reported.
In November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, Egyptian officials said. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued.
All the deceased were foreigners, says state owned newspaper
The website of the state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper said the deceased were all foreigners, adding that 19 others were injured.
Investigations are under way to determine what caused the accident, according to the newspaper, which said the injured were transported to nearby hospitals along with the bodies of the deceased.
Hurghada, a bustling tourist city 460 kilometres (285 miles) southeast of the Egyptian capital Cairo, is a major destination for visitors to Egypt.
Updated
Six reported dead after tourist submarine sinks near Hurghada
Six 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.
AP reported that the officials were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
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 travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
We will bring you more updates as we get them.
Updated
