Tourist submarine sinks off Egyptian coast

 

"At least six people may have died and nine others were injured when a tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea off the coast of the Egyptian city of Hurghada early on Thursday, the BBC reports.

 

Another 29 people were rescued. The injured, including four in critical condition, were taken to nearby hospitals.

 

It is believed that there were about 40 tourists on board the submarine.

 

The submarine "Sindbad" is reported to have sunk near the port. The ship had been in operation for many years.

 

"On March 27, at about 10 am, a bathyscaphe "Sindbad" belonging to the hotel of the same name crashed about a kilometer from the coast." <...> In addition to the crew, there were 45 tourists on board, including minors,” the embassy statement, which was transmitted to NBC, said.

 

The Sindbad has been operating cruises off Hurghada for several years.

 

The company says it owns two of only 14 submarines in the world designed for recreational travel.

 

The cruise operators offer people the opportunity to dive to a depth of 25 meters and explore a 500-meter-long coral reef and its fauna.

 

“The ship has 44 passenger seats, two pilot seats and a round viewing window for each passenger,” the Sindbad Submarines website states.

 

This is not the first incident involving cruise ships in Hurghada.

 

When the Sea Story cruise ship sank in November, 11 people died or went missing, while 35 survived. Egyptian authorities at the time said a huge wave was the cause of the disaster, but survivors told the BBC that there were safety concerns.

 

This is not the first time a tourist boat has capsized in Egypt, raising safety concerns

 

The tourist hotspot of Hurghada is 460km southeast of the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

 

The Red Sea's coral reefs and islands off the coast of Egypt are a major draw for tourists and contribute to the country's vital tourism sector, which employs two million people and accounts for more than 10% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

 

Dozens of boats along the Red Sea coast ferry tourists to the sea every day.”