Egypt tourist boat latest: Three bodies recovered as search for 16 missing including two Britons continues
Two Britons are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea
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Your support makes all the difference.Three 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, the region’s governor has announced.
Two Britons are among the 16 people that were missing despite a massive rescue operation saving 28 people from the imperilled vessel, according to the governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafi.
The rescue is being co-ordinated by the Egyptian military and the Red Sea Governate, with arimed forces aircraft deployed to the scene as part of the response.
The boat sank off the south of the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam with 31 tourists of various nationalities on board along with 13 crew members.
Mr Hanafi said a “huge wave” hit the yacht and caused it to capsize in about five to seven minutes as some passengers were trapped inside their cabins.
Some tourists were airlifted to receive medical treatment. It has not been confirmed what caused the four-deck motor yacht to sink.
But the Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about rough weather, advising against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday on the Red Sea.
A Foreign 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.”
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.
Yacht operation company ‘has no information on matter’
The yacht was operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, which is based in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada.
The company said it has no information on the matter.
What caused the yacht to sink?
It was not immediately clear what caused the four-deck motor yacht to sink after it departed from the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam on Monday.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about rough weather and large waves, advising against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday on the Red Sea.
Governor of the Red Sea region Amr Hanafi according to those on board, a huge 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.
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