Egyptian rescuers found four bodies and five survivors during a search operation in the Red Sea on Tuesday, after a tourist boat with 44 people on board sank on Monday.
A total of 33 people have been rescued so far, but seven were still missing as of Tuesday evening.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released by authorities. The BBC understands that two of the missing are British citizens.
The modern four-deck ship was carrying 31 passengers and 13 crew members when it was hit by a large wave near Marsa Alam, causing it to capsize.
The boat sent distress calls at 5:30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT), local authorities said.
Medics are waiting at the scene as search efforts continue [EPA]
According to Red Sea Governor Major General Amr Hanafi, the ship sank within five to seven minutes. He said some people were unable to escape from their huts.
A total of 28 people were rescued by military personnel and a passing tourist boat in the hours after the ship capsized.
The governor had earlier said that more survivors had been found in the Wadi el-Gemal area, south of Marsa Alam.
The 44-metre Sea Story yacht had left a port near Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving trip that would end further north in the city of Hurghada.
It was probably hit by strong winds on Sunday night. Egypt’s Meteorological Authority warned of high waves in the Red Sea and advised against maritime activities on Sunday and Monday.
Wind speeds were between 37 and 43 mph (60 to 70 km per hour) and wave heights were three to four meters high.
[BBC]
According to the Marsa Alam Municipal Council, the crew of the Sea Story is Egyptian, while the tourists on board came from Belgium, Britain, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the US.
According to the foreign ministries of those countries, the missing include two Polish tourists and one from Finland.
A British Foreign Office spokesperson said they were “providing support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt”.
The Chinese embassy in Egypt said two of its nationals were in “good health” after being rescued.
Red Sea Governor Major General Amr Hanafi visited survivors on Monday [EPA]
Marsa Alam is a popular destination for tourists on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast. It is surrounded by diving sites, including famous coral reefs.
The Red Sea Governorate said the boat was owned by an Egyptian citizen and had received a one-year validity certificate in March 2024 when it was inspected by maritime security.
Hanafi said there were no technical errors at the time of the incident.
He also visited Marsa Alam to see the people being rescued, saying they were all in good health and no one needed to be hospitalized. The passengers will be taken to a tourist hotel in the area, he added.
The BBC has contacted Sea Story’s Egypt-based owner and operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard.
According to the website, the ship was built in 2022. It has four decks and 18 cabins that can accommodate up to 36 passengers.
Last year, three Britons died off the coast of Marsa Alam after their submarine caught fire.
