The local government says 39 people were rescued after a ship carrying tourists sank the tourist promenade area in Hagada.
At least six people have been killed after a tourist submarine sank from Hugada’s popular Egyptian Red Sea destination, local authorities said.
Egypt’s Red Sea Governor confirmed that six Russians have been killed and 39 foreign tourists have been rescued after the submarines sank from the beach in the tourist promenade area on Thursday.
He said there were no people missing after undergoing rescue operations.
The submarine was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crews as it struck, Red Sea Governor Am Hanafi said in a statement, adding that rescuers were sent quickly.
The Hanafi office said 45 tourists “are from a variety of nationalities, including Russian, Indian, Norwegian and Swedish.”
The Russian Consulate in Hurghada confirmed that the submarine, named “Sinbad,” was carrying “45 tourists” in addition to its crew when it “crashed from a kilometer from the coast” at around 10am local time (08:00 GMT).
“Most of the people on board were rescued and taken to hotels and hospitals in Hagada,” the consulate said.
It was not immediately clear why the submarine was sinking. Weather conditions on Thursday reportedly revealed optimal visibility underwater.
Egypt’s Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper said an investigation into the cause of the incident was underway.
According to the Sindbad Submarines website, the submarines were equipped with large pores.
Located about 460 kilometers (280 miles) southeast of Cairo, Egypt’s capital, Hurghada is a major destination for visitors to Egypt, many of which are Russian.
The area has been the site of several fatal accidents in recent years.
In November, a diving boat capsized off the coast of Marsa Alam, south of Hurghada, leaving four and seven missing.
Last June, 20 French tourists were safely evacuated before the boat sank after the storm damage.
In 2023, three British tourists died after a fire broke out on a yacht, causing flames to engulf them.
The UN report first ranked Egypt at $14.1 billion in Africa for tourism revenue in 2024.
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