Egypt tourist boat latest: More survivors rescued as search intensifies for remaining missing passengers
Two Britons are still unaccounted for after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea
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Your support makes all the difference.Four bodies have been recovered from the tourist yacht which was hit by a “huge wave” and sank off the Red Sea coast of Egypt on Monday.
But five more people were found alive today - two Belgian tourists, an Egyptian a Swiss national and a Finnish national - and rescue teams were still searching for eight missing people, the area’s governor said in a statement. This brings the total number of survivors to 33.
Two Britons were among the 16 people initially reported missing, according to Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi. It is unconfirmed whether the Brits were among the bodies recovered on Tuesday.
The rescue is being coordinated by the Egyptian military and the Red Sea Governate, with armed forces aircraft deployed to the scene.
The boat sank off the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam with 31 tourists of various nationalities and 13 crew members on board.
It has not been confirmed what caused the four-deck motor yacht to capsize, but the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had warned about rough weather, advising against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday on the Red Sea.
Yacht was carrying 31 foreigners
Amr Hanafi, governor of the Red Sea region, said the yacht was carrying 44 people. It has capacity for 48 people, according to its website.
This included 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland.
Recap: Two Britons among 16 missing after tourist yacht sinks in Red Sea
Two Britons are reported to be among dozens of people missing after a tourist yacht capsized off the coast of Egypt.
Sea Story was carrying 44 people and sunk after being hit by a wave in the Red Sea at around 5.30am local time on Monday morning, said Amr Hanafi, governor of the Red Sea region.
While 28 people were rescued, 16 people remained missing on Monday night, Mr Hanafi said.
Report:
Two Britons among 16 missing after tourist yacht sinks in Red Sea
Sea Story was carrying 44 people when it was hit by a wave and capsized off the coast of Egypt in the Red Sea
Passengers were stuck inside cabins, governor says
Some passengers were stuck inside cabins when the vessel was hit by a large wave and capsized, the Red Sea’s governor said.
Mapped: Where did the yacht sink?
Sixteen people, including two Britons and four Egyptians, are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea off Egypt while on its way from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam to Hurghada Marina.
Three Britons killed in Marsa Alam last year
This is not the first time that Britons have found themselves in the middle of a tragedy in Marsa Alam. It 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.
When was the distress call made?
A distress call was received at 5.30am from the boat, which had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on 29 November.
Egyptian armed forces frigates and aircraft swept the area in search of the missing, but by 5pm the search had been paused for the night, a government source told Reuters on Monday.
Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi said that Egypt is collaborating with embassies, consulates, and relevant authorities to facilitate documentation for the rescued passengers, who are staying at a hotel in Marsa Alam, and to ensure their needs are met.
Chinese and Polish nationals declared safe
The Chinese embassy in Egypt said Monday two of its nationals were “in good health” after being “rescued in the cruise ship sinking accident in the Red Sea”, Chinese state media reported.
Pawel Wronski, the Polish foreign ministry spokesman, said authorities “have information that two of the tourists may have had Polish citizenship”.
“That’s all we know about them. That’s all we can say for now,” he said. The Finnish foreign ministry confirmed one of its nationals is missing.
How have governments responded?
Sixteen people, including two Britons and four Egyptians, are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea off Egypt.
The Sea Story was carrying 44 in total, including 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland, when the vessel was hit by a “high sea wave”, causing it to capsize.
The UK foreign office said it was providing consular support to “a number of British nationals and their families” after the sinking.
Ireland’s department of foreign affairs also told The Associated Press in an email that it is “aware of this incident and is providing consular assistance” without revealing further details.
Spain’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of any Spanish nationals among the missing. The ministry said that five Spanish nationals were rescued and are out of danger.
Watch: Rescuers help survivors of boat sunk off Red Sea coast as two Britons feared missing
What happened and how was the rescue coordinated?
The yacht, named Sea Story, had left Marsa Alam for a five-day journey when a distress call was made shortly before dawn on Monday.
Amr Hanafi, governor of the Red Sea region, said that according to those on board, a “high sea wave” hit the vessel and caused it to capsize in “about five or seven minutes”.
Some passengers were inside the cabins, “which is why they couldn’t get out of the boat”, his statement on Facebook said.
Mr Hanafi ruled out any technical defect with the ship, saying that all the required licences were obtained before the trip. It was last checked for naval safety in March, according to officials.
Rescue operations are being co-ordinated by the Egyptian military and the Red Sea Governorate.
Armed forces aircraft were deployed above the scene as part of the response.
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