Latest news with #Hurghada-based
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Crew involved in deadly tourist submarine incident in Red Sea questioned by authorities
March 28 (UPI) -- The local crew of a recreational submarine that sank off the Egyptian Red Sea coast killing six Russian tourists and injuring nine other passengers have been questioned by authorities in Egypt amid an ongoing investigation into the tragedy. The 45 tourists departed the beach resort of Hurghada aboard the purpose-built submarine with a crew of five mid-morning Thursday for a sightseeing tour of coral reefs in the waters off the popular beach resort but the vessel got into difficulties about a half mile out. Two children and a married couple, both doctors, were among the six Russians killed. The BBC reported that the daughters of the couple were hospitalized after 39 other passengers and the five crew were rescued. Four of those injured remain in intensive care in area hospitals in critical condition. There was confusion over the injured with the Russian Embassy in Cairo saying seven Russian citizens, of whom five are minors, were being treated for non life-threatening injuries. The nationalities of the other two people hurt have not been released but Red Sea governor Amr Hanafy said that nationals from India, Norway and Sweden were also on board. The cause of the incident is under investigation but the Association of Tour Operators of Russia said the submarine collided with a reef while at a depth of 65 feet, causing an unrecoverable decompression. Hanafy said the vessel, owned and operated by Hurghada-based Sindbad Submarines, was licensed and the commander had the required qualifications from the Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. The two doctors killed were named as anesthesiologist Ravil Valiullin and his wife Kristina from the Republic of Tatarstan, 600 miles east of Moscow. However, Tatarstan press spokesperson Liliya Galimova stressed it would take time to complete formal identification, warning that it remained unclear if Mrs. Valiullin had in fact been killed. "We rely on information that comes directly from the scene, from Egypt. As we can see, the information there is constantly changing. Time is needed. We will wait for clarification," she told Russian media. Briton, Dr. James Aldridge said that when he took a Sindbad reef tour in February it appeared to be a well-run, professional operation and that passengers received a pre-recorded multi-lingual safety briefing before embarking. "Fresh paint, modern equipment and with attentive and professional English-speaking staff (including two divers to accompany you down)," he said. However, he did note that life jackets were not provided. Thursday's accident has thrown a renewed spotlight on the safety record of operators of recreational vessels in the Red Sea serving thousands of mainly scuba divers who flock there every year, many of them joining so-called "liveaboard" dive boats plying its waters. In November, as many as 11 people were killed and seven are missing, presumed dead after a dive boat capsized south of Hurghada and three British divers were killed in June 2023 in a fire aboard the MV Hurricane, a liveaboard belonging to Sharm El-Shiekh-based Tornado Marine Fleet, while anchored at the popular Elphinstone Reef.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
6 dead after tourist submarine sinks off Egypt's coast: officials
Six people have died and nine were injured when a tourist submarine sank off the Egyptian coast on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. All the victims were Russian, and were among 45 passengers aboard the tourist submarine, said provincial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to not having authorization to speak to the media. The sinking happened off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, and that is where 29 people were rescued. There were some minors on board the submarine, Russian consular officials in Hurghada said, according to the AP. It is unknown how many crew members were on the submarine. At Least 16 Tourists Missing After Egyptian Yacht Carrying Americans Sinks In High-waves Red Sea The sub belonged to Sindbad hotel in Hurghada. It took off on a regularly scheduled tour to view coral reefs at around 10 a.m. Thursday and went under about half a mile from shore. Read On The Fox News App The vessel, which was operated by a Hurghada-based company called Sindbad Submarines, had 44 passenger seats, two pilot seats, and a round viewing window for each passenger, according to the company website. Us-egyptian Archaeological Team Uncovers 4,000-Year-old Tomb Near Luxor With Jewelry, Other Artifacts The people rescued were taken to hospitals and are in stable condition, according to the Russian cause of the submarine's sinking is not yet known. Back in November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, Egyptian officials said. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued. Some were missing following the sinking. Two American tourists had been onboard. Tourism is an important sector of Egypt's economy, but many tourist companies have stopped or limited travel on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region. Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis and The Associated Press contributed to this article source: 6 dead after tourist submarine sinks off Egypt's coast: officials
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
At least 6 killed in Red Sea after 'recreational' submarine sinks
March 27 (UPI) -- At least six people were killed and dozens were injured Thursday after a "recreational" tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea off the sprawling Egyptian beach resort of Hurghada, 280 miles southeast of Cairo. Emergency services rescued 29 people from the stricken vessel which was carrying at least 40 passengers when it sank at around 10 a.m. local time about a half-mile from Hurghada harbor with the Russian Embassy in Cairo confirming all were its citizens. Children were among those killed and nine people were injured, four of them critically, after the submarine was involved in some sort of collision, before sinking. The BBC reported that the vessel belonged to Hurghada-based Sindbad Submarines. The company operates two of only 14 "real" recreational submarines in the world, offering underwater tours down to 80 feet to up to 44 people at a time to explore coral reefs and their marine inhabitants in "airconditioned comfort and safety," according to the company's website. The Russian Embassy said the group was traveling with Bilbio Globus Egypt Tours. The Egyptian Travel Agents Association lists the company as a Hurghada-based member. The tragedy comes four months to the day after 11 people were killed after their dive boat, the Sea Story, capsized in the Red Sea in November 180 miles to the south while en route to Hurghada, apparently after being struck by a large wave. In February, another so-called "live-aboard" tourist vessel capsized north of Hurghada in a storm off Jabal Al-Zeit with six crew members aboard. Four were quickly plucked from the sea by patrol boats despatched from the nearby Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company facility, but two others were only located after an extensive search and rescue operation. The incident occurred the same day the British government's Marine Accident Investigations Branch issued a safety alert to tourists following at least two deadly incidents involving Egyptian liveaboard dive boats operating in the Red Sea in the past two years. Saying it was aware of at least 16 accidents that had occurred over the last 5 years, some of which had resulted in loss of life, the MAIB warned tourists intending to stay on liveaboard vessels to exercise "extreme caution" as they were unlikely to be built, maintained, equipped, and operated to the standard of similar vessels in the U.K. "While MAIB does not have the jurisdiction to investigate accidents involving non-U.K. flagged vessels operating within the territorial waters of another coastal state, we have made the appropriate authorities aware of our national interest and offered every assistance with any safety investigation they conduct," said Marine Accidents Chief Inspector Andrew Moll.
Fox News
27-03-2025
- Fox News
6 dead after tourist submarine sinks off Egypt's coast: officials
Six people have died and nine were injured when a tourist submarine sank off the Egyptian coast on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. All the victims were Russian, and were among 45 passengers aboard the tourist submarine, said provincial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to not having authorization to speak to the media. The sinking happened off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, and that is where 29 people were rescued. There were some minors on board the submarine, Russian consular officials in Hurghada said, according to the AP. It is unknown how many crew members were on the submarine. The sub belonged to Sindbad hotel in Hurghada. It took off on a regularly scheduled tour to view coral reefs at around 10 a.m. Thursday and went under about half a mile from shore. The vessel, which was operated by a Hurghada-based company called Sindbad Submarines, had 44 passenger seats, two pilot seats, and a round viewing window for each passenger, according to the company website. The people rescued were taken to hospitals and are in stable condition, according to the Russian cause of the submarine's sinking is not yet known. Back in November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, Egyptian officials said. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued. Some were missing following the sinking. Two American tourists had been onboard. Tourism is an important sector of Egypt's economy, but many tourist companies have stopped or limited travel on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
