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A tourist boat has sunk in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, with two Britons believed to be on board, after it sent out a distress call shortly before dawn this morning
Images show a major search operation with two Brits among 17 people missing from a tourist yacht which sank off Egypt.
Consular support is being provided to “a number of British nationals and their families” after the boat went down in the Red Sea, the Foreign Office said.
There are reports that four Britons who were on board the vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam with two missing. Amr Hanafy, governor of the Red Sea region, said the yacht was carrying 31 tourists and 14 crew.
Twenty-eight people were saved by rescuers. A spokesperson for travel trade organisation Abta said: “We have been in contact with our members to see if they had any customers on the ship affected by this incident.”
The vessel had left Marsa Alam for a five-day sailing and a distress call was made from the yacht shortly before dawn on Monday. It was not immediately clear what caused the sinking.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity on Sunday and Monday. The yacht was operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, which is based in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada.
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Tim Hanlon
Tourist yacht capsized in 'five to seven minutes' says local governor
The capsizing of a tourist yacht in the Red Sea was "sudden and fast" said a regional governor with the boat going down in maybe less than seven minutes.
Major General Amr Hanafi has been giving updates on the rescue mission after The Sea Story sank this morning with 44 people on board. He stated on Monday evening that 28 people were saved by rescuers, with 16 people, including four Egyptians still missing.
There are reports that four Britons were on board the vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam and two of them remain missing.
Mr Hanafi stated: "The initial cause of the accident, according to the accounts of foreigners and the Egyptian crew, was a large wave from the sea that hit the boat, causing it to capsize. The matter was sudden and fast, as it took about five or seven minutes."
Tim Hanlon
Missing people in cabins 'couldn't get out of boat' says regional governor
Missing people were in cabins preventing them from getting out of the boat, said the regional Red Sea governor.
Major General Amr Hanafi has been visiting survivors after The Sea Story sank and he said it likely went down near the Sataya Reef, without giving further information.
Some passengers were inside the cabins, “which is why they couldn’t get out of the boat”, his statement on Facebook said.
Local media also reported him as saying that all the people rescued from the stricken yacht are healthy and did not need hospital treatment.
He stated: "I was keen to listen to the passengers after they were rescued and provided with necessary medical care. All the passengers who were rescued are fine and in good health. None of them were transferred to hospitals as the injuries were minor and varied between bruises and abrasions, and did not require transferring them to hospitals."
Tim Hanlon
The Sea Story is latest in series of accidents involving tourist boats in Red Sea
The sinking of The Sea Story is the latest in a series of maritime accidents to happen off the Egyptian coast involving tourists.
Marsa Alam is a popular destination for tourists embarking on diving holidays, as it is near large areas with coral reefs.
Three Britons died in June last year when the diving boat they were on burst into flames off Marsa Alam. The fire was caused by a suspected electrical fault.
There are strict rules and regulations for boats used in diving trips but they are not always enforced. Earlier this month around 30 people had to be rescued from a boat that sunk near the Daedalus reef and in June more than 20 French tourists also had to be taken to safety after their boat went down.
Tim Hanlon
Yacht sinking was operator's third incident in three years after two caught fire
The sinking of The Sea Story is the operator's third vessel to suffer an incident in three years with two others catching fire.
Dive Pro Liveaboard previously had the 43m steel-hulled Scuba Scene, a yacht which was destroyed by a fire in April 2022. It was replaced by the 42m steel-hulled Sea Legend, according to Dive Magazine.
And Sea Legend caught fire in the Red Sea in February 2024 with 17 prople on board and it reportedly led to the death of a German woman. The company only has the 35m Tillis and 32m Sea Pearl still operational.
But The Sea Story is understood to have had all the necessary licenses and it passed a marine safety inspection earlier this year.
Tim Hanlon
Strong winds and waves caused tourist yacht to sink, says regional governor
Strong winds and sea waves are the reason for the tourist yacht to sink off the coast of Egypt, said the regional Red Sea governor.
Major General Amr Hanafi ruled out that there was a technical defect to the ship and that all the required licences had been obtained for The Sea Story.
There are believed to have been more than 30 tourists who were on board the stricken vessel with a search continuing for 17 people. Mr Hanafi said that authorities in Egypt were coordinating with embassies and consulates of the foreign nationals involved in the incident.
The survivors from the sunken yacht have been taken to a tourist hotel in Marsa Alam, reported the news outlet TeN TV.
— TeN TV (@TeNTVEG) November 25, 2024تحرك سريع وموجة بحر السبب..محافظ البحر الأحمر يطمئن على السياح والمواطنين المصريين في حادث غرق مركب مرسى علم
محافظ البحر الأحمر: لا عيوب فنية في المركب وجرى استخراج كافة التراخيص المطلوبة
عمرو حنفي: مواصلة التنسيق والتواصل مع كافة السفارات والقنصليات والجهات المعنية،… pic.twitter.com/Dg5yt5PSHW
Tim Hanlon
Full list of nationalities of tourists on board sunken yacht
Survivors are receiving the medical care they need and the mission to find the missing is intensifying, said the regional Red Sea governor.
Major General Amr Hanafi said that the frigate, Al-Fateh, and aircraft from the Egyptian armed forces are continuing to comb the sea.
A list of the nationalities of the tourists on board the yacht from local media citing a Marsa Alam council source states: four Germans, five Spaniards, two Belgians, one Chinese, two Americans, three Slovakians, two Swiss, four Britons, two Poles, four Egyptians, two Norwegians, one Irish, and one Finn. These are as well as the crew members.
Tim Hanlon
Major search operation launched by Egyptian military for missing people
A large crowd can be seen gathered at the harbour in Marsa Alam with a major search operation underway to find 17 missing people from a luxury yacht.
The Egyptian military is leading the operation using helicopters and boats which have so far brought survivors ashore but there are still 17 people unaccounted for including two Britons from The Sea Story.
Marsa Alam is a popular destination for tourists embarking on diving holidays, as it is near large areas with coral reefs.
Online booking agent, No Troubles Just Bubbles, describes Sea Story as being a "very popular boat" that was launched in 2022. It states the ship is "unlike most other Red Sea diving liveaboards" because it doesn't follow the standard format of other ships and instead has an extra deck for "more space to relax on board".
Its website reads: "All cabins have plenty of floor space, independently-controlled air conditioning, and a private en suite bathroom. Fourteen of the cabins have two single beds, side by side. And there are four honeymoon suites on the upper deck." There is also an exposed sundeck for stargazing and an outdoor jacuzzi and indoor sauna.
The raving description adds: "The views are great, the cabins large, and there are two vast socialising areas; one outside and one with air conditioning. It really is the most luxurious deck you will find on almost any boat in the northern Red Sea." It also states the crew and dive staff are hard-working and service-minded.
Tim Hanlon
Yacht 'hit by a wave' says crew member with boat 'thrown on its side'
A surviving crew member reportedly said the yacht sank after “being hit by a wave”.
A distress call was made from the yacht shortly before dawn on Monday. The vessel had left Marsa Alam for a five-day sailing and so far no official reason has been given for the sinking.
But the manager of a diving resort nearby reportedly said a crew member had told him they were "hit by a wave in the middle of the night, throwing the vessel on its side".
It is understood that there was a warning of bad weather on Sunday but that the conditions had remained favourable around Marsa Alam until Sunday night - and then this morning again the sea was calm.
Tim Hanlon
Two Brits rescued and two others among 17 missing after yacht sinks
Two Britons are believed to have been rescued with another two among a total of 17 people missing, it is reported.
There are believed to have been tourists on board the boat from the UK, China, Finland and Spain among other countries with 31 people in total on board. A crew of 14 was also on board, said a statement from Egypt’s Red Sea governorate.
The Egyptian military is coordinating rescue operations with the governorate.
Some of the survivors were reportedly airlifted to safety by a helicopter, while others were transported via another boat.
Tim Hanlon
Inside the Egypt Sea Story tourist boat that sank in Red Sea
The diving trip departed from Porto Ghalib Port in Marsa Alam on Sunday and was supposed to return to the port of Hurghada on November 29.
But around 5.30am this morning, a member of crew raised the alarm and the coastguard was sent out to try track them down. It's unclear what caused the four-deck motor yacht to sink, but local reports said a helicopter and naval units were involved in the frantic search.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned on Saturday about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.
According to liveaboard.com, which books spaces on the vessel, the Sea Story sails around the Red Sea. It's said to be able to accommodate as many as 32 passengers in its 18 air-conditioned and en-suite twin rooms. Among the facilities on board are a fully-equipped restaurant, honeymoon suites, flat-screen TV and sound system.
They offer several different trips, including the wrecks and "vibrant reeds" of the North Reefs, or the Deep South, which is best for "shark action and remote diving". Its site states that trips start at £126 per day.
Tim Hanlon
Two Brits are believed to be missing from the tourist yacht
The governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said rescuers saved 28 people from The Sea Story south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam, and some were airlifted to receive medical treatment.
Two Britons are believed to be so far unaccounted for from the tourist yacht. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office spokesperson said: "We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt and are in contact with the local authorities."
Mr Hanafy said 31 tourists of various nationalities were on board along with 14 crew.
Tim Hanlon
What do we know about the sunken yacht?
The yacht which sank is called Sea Story and is operated by the company Dive Pro Liveaboard in Hurghada, Egypt.
A person answering the phone at Dive Pro Liveaboard said they have “no information” and hung up when asked about the sinking today.
According to their website, the Sea Story was built in 2022 and can hold 36 passengers. It was not immediately clear what caused the four-deck, wooden-hulled motor yacht to sink. But the Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.
