At least 16 people are missing after an Egyptian yacht carrying foreign tourists sank in the Red Sea on Monday.
There were 44 passengers on board, including 13 crew members and 31 tourists. Sea stories when it sank near Marsa Alam which is a resort city in the southeast of Egypt. Boats carry tourists on multi-day snorkeling trips.
Egyptian media Al-Dostor reported that two American tourists were on board, but it was not clear if they were among the missing. Authorities were notified of the incident at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Monday.
“Immediately (officials) notified the navy base and the army. A search and rescue team launched the operation using helicopters and marine units moving from the port of Bernice to the rescue location,” the Red Sea governor explained in a Facebook post.
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More than a dozen people are missing after the Sea Story ship sank near Marsa Alam on Monday. (Getty Images)
“The (Egyptian) control center and operating room continue to coordinate and follow up around the clock to ensure that all necessary actions are taken and the situation is ensured.”
The search is ongoing and no official death toll has been announced.
Egyptian officials reported that 28 people had been rescued from the group. Minor injuries such as abrasions and bruises have been reported. But none of the victims were hospitalized.
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Rescuers waited on the beach to find any survivors. After a shipwreck at the port in Marsa Alam Egyptian officials said on Monday that More than a dozen people are still missing after a tourist boat carrying 45 people capsized in the Red Sea. (Alliance Stringer/Image via Getty Images)
The missing group included 12 foreigners. The ship was carrying citizens of the United States, Belgium, Spain and Germany, along with citizens of the United Kingdom, China, Finland, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland.
Although the cause of the sinking is unknown. But officials believe a large wave caused the boat to capsize. The ship sank within five to seven minutes.
“Some passengers were in their cabins. That is why they were unable to escape,” said Amr Hanafi, Governor of the Red Sea. specified in the statement
A file photo dated November 20, 2024 shows an aerial view of a port on the Red Sea. While yachts and docks in Marsa Alam, Egypt (Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Authorities are actively investigating this incident. No further information is known at this time.
Reuters contributed to this report.
