This article was edited on 28 March 2025, to correct the name of the submarine.
At least six people are feared dead, with nine others injured, after a tourist submarine sank off the coast of the Egyptian Red Sea city of Hurghada earlier today (27 March 2025).
Twenty-nine people were thought to be rescued. The injured, including four in critical condition, were transferred to nearby hospitals. It is believed that around 40 tourist passengers were on board the submarine.
BBC coverage suggests that the submarine, Sindbad, sank close to the harbour.
It had been in operation for years and offers tourists the opportunity to travel 25 metres (82 feet) deep.
The Russian Embassy in Egypt has said, via Facebook, that all the tourists onboard were Russian. It also says the submarine belongs to a hotel of the same name.
‘According to the initial data, most of the passengers on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada. Their health is not a cause for concern. Four people have been killed. The fate of several tourists is being determined,’ the post says.
Quoting local officials, Reuters and Associated Press report that six foreigners have died.
Sindbad‘s owners market the submarine as one of the only real submarines in North Africa & Middle East.
It says that there are only 14 real recreational submarines worldwide, and two are in Hurghada, Egypt. The trip was to explore 500 meters of coral reef and its marine inhabitants.
Updates to this story will follow.
Earlier this year, MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch) issued safety advice for those considering a liveaboard dive holiday in the Red Sea, following a series of accidents involving these vessels.
Over the past five years, 16 incidents have been recorded, with three dive boats lost in the last 20 months. Several of these incidents resulted in fatalities.
The tourist yacht named Sea Story sank off the coast of Egypt’s Red Sea on 25 November 2024, with 46 people on board. A total of four bodies were recovered. Five people were found alive in the wreck after surviving in “20cm air pockets” for over 30 hours following the sinking.
Survivors have accused Egyptian authorities and the boat’s operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard, of pressuring them to sign statements they could not understand after the sinking, attempting to deflect blame and ignoring safety failings on the vessel.
The main image is illustrative and taken from an advert on TripAdvisor for Sinbad Submarines.
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