Six people died on Thursday, March 27, two of them minors, when a tourist submarine carrying dozens of Russian visitors sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast, near a major resort town. Russia's consulate in the tourist hub of Hurghada earlier said the vessel was carrying "45 tourists, including minors" on an underwater excursion to observe coral reefs, when it "crashed 1 kilometer from the shore," at about 10:00 am local time (0800 GMT).
Egyptian state media put the toll at six, while Russian state news agencies quoted General Consul Viktor Voropaev as saying that five people were confirmed dead, two of them minors. The website of state-owned newspaper Akhbar al-Youm gave the toll of six dead and said 29 people were rescued, nine of them wounded. Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, quoting an Egyptian emergency services source, reported the death of "five foreigners and one Egyptian."
"According to initial data, most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada," the consulate said, adding that diplomats had been dispatched to the pier.
The Egyptian newspaper reported investigations were underway to determine what caused the accident.
Local authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The website of Sindbad Submarines, the vessel's owner, according to the Russian consulate, said the vessel could carry 44 passengers to depths of up to 25 meters. While dozens of tourist boats sail through the coastal area daily for snorkeling and diving activities, Sindbad Submarines says it deploys the region's "only real" recreational submarine.
Hurghada, a resort about 460 kilometers southeast of Cairo, the Egyptian capital, is a major destination for visitors to Egypt, with its airport receiving more than nine million passengers last year, according to state media. The Red Sea coral reefs and islands off Egypt's eastern coast are major draws, contributing to the country's vital tourism sector, which employs two million people and generates more than 10% of the country's GDP.
The area has been the site of several deadly accidents in recent years. In November, a dive boat capsized off the coast of Marsa Alam, south of Hurghada, leaving four dead and seven missing. Thirty people were rescued from another sinking boat, while, last June, two dozen French tourists were safely evacuated before their boat sank in a similar accident. In 2023, three British tourists died after a fire broke out on their yacht, engulfing their vessel in flames.