Red Sea Provincial Governor Amr Hanafi told Reuters that rescue crews were still looking for 13 missing persons after three dead were found Tuesday morning from a tourist boat that sank off the coast of Egypt’s Red Sea.
Thirteen crew members and thirty-one guests were on a multi-day diving vacation when the Sea Story overturned on Monday close to Sataya Reef. High waves hit it, and it sank in five to seven minutes.
A Red Sea Governorate statement on Monday said that 16 people were thought to be trapped inside.
No hospitalization was necessary for the twenty-eight survivors who were recovered with only minor injuries. Authorities were collaborating with embassies and consulates to give support and documentation, and survivors were being housed in a hotel in Marsa Alam.
The yacht passed its most recent safety inspection in March 2024, according to Hanafi, and no technical problems were found.
The boat was around 100 feet long, owned by an Egyptian, and had a one-year safety certificate from the Maritime Safety Authority.
The incident happened when the weather was bad. Marine traffic was suspended on Sunday due to reports of 10–13-foot waves and 34 knot winds in the region, according to the Egyptian Red Sea Ports Authority.
It was the second boat to sink in the region this year; in June, powerful waves severely damaged another boat, but no one was hurt.
Famous for its coral reefs and marine life, the Red Sea is a major destination for Egypt’s tourist sector, which is vital to the nation’s economy.
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