Sixteen Missing After Tourist Boat Sinks off Egypt’s Red Sea Coast

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Sixteen people, including 12 foreign nationals, are missing after a tourist boat sank off the coast of Egypt’s Red Sea, local authorities confirmed. The boat, named Sea Story, was carrying 44 people, including 31 tourists from various countries and 13 crew members, when it capsized near the coastal town of Marsa Alam on Monday.

The boat had been on a multi-day diving trip when it went down, with only 28 survivors, all of whom sustained minor injuries such as bruises and scrapes but did not require hospitalization. The victims include nationals from the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Switzerland.

According to the Red Sea Governorate, a distress call was made at 5:30 AM local time (03:30 GMT) after the boat, which was 34 meters long, sank rapidly, likely due to a large wave that struck it. Preliminary reports suggest that the boat went down within five to seven minutes of being hit by the wave, leaving passengers who were in their cabins unable to escape.

The boat had departed Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday, with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on November 29. Egyptian authorities had issued warnings about rough seas in the region, with wave heights forecasted to reach up to 6 meters (20 feet) in the Mediterranean and 4 meters (13 feet) in the Red Sea. Despite these warnings, maritime activities had not been fully suspended.

Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi stated that the boat’s sudden sinking has left a significant number of passengers unaccounted for. Search and rescue efforts continue as authorities work to locate the missing individuals.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about safety in Egypt’s popular tourist areas, particularly with regard to weather conditions and maritime operations during turbulent seas.