Egypt yacht sinks latest: Two Britons among 16 missing after Red Sea boat capsizes in ‘five or seven minutes’
Two Britons are feared missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea, according to the BBC
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Your support makes all the difference.Two Britons are reported to be among dozens of people feared missing after a tourist yacht was hit by a “huge wave” and sank off the coast of Egypt on Monday.
At least 16 people are said to be 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 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 and large waves, 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.”
Pictured: Sea Story vessel
The 144-foot two-engine Sea Story vessel was built in 2022 and is registered in Safaga, Egypt, according to the boat’s owner.
Owned by tourist company Dive pro Liveaboard, the boat has space for 36 passengers and 12 crew members including a captain, cooks, waiters and sailors.
At the time it sank, it was carrying 44 people. This included 31 tourists and 13 crew members, according to the Red Sea governornate.
It carried safety jackets in each cabin and two 25-person safety rafts, according to Dive pro Liveaboard’s website.
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.
UK giving consular support to British families
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.”
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.
A surviving crew member also said the boat was “hit by a wave in the middle of the night, throwing the vessel on its side”.
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.
Pictured: Sea Story vessel
The 144-foot two-engine Sea Story vessel was built in 2022 and is registered in Safaga, Egypt, according to the boat’s owner.
Owned by tourist company Dive pro Liveaboard, the boat has space for 36 passengers and 12 crew members including a captain, cooks, waiters and sailors.
At the time it sank, it was carrying 44 people. This included 31 tourists and 13 crew members, according to the Red Sea governornate.
It carried safety jackets in each cabin and two 25-person safety rafts, according to Dive pro Liveaboard’s website.
Yacht was ‘hit by a wave’ in middle of night
A surviving crew member said the boat was “hit by a wave in the middle of the night, throwing the vessel on its side”.
By Monday afternoon, it had become increasingly “unlikely that the 17 missing would be rescued after 12 hours in the water,” he said.
The boat, named Sea Story, is a 144ft vessel built in 2022. It departed from Port Ghalib on Saturday and was scheduled to return to Hurghada Marina on 29 November.
A distress signal was received at 5.30am on Monday, after which contact was lost.
Pictured: Survivors speak to Red Sea governor
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