At least six people have died and dozens of others have been rescued after a tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt.
Nine of those rescued were injured after the vessel sank near Hurghada, two municipal officials said.
Sky’s US partner NBC News, citing the Russian embassy in Cairo, reported four Russian citizens were among those who had died.
The submarine, called Sindbad, was carrying 45 passengers, including children, NBC reported.
It is not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink.
The Russian embassy told NBC: “On March 27, at about 10:00, the Sindbad bathyscaphe, owned by the hotel of the same name, crashed 1km off the shore. […] In addition to the crew, there were 45 tourists on board, including minors. All of them are Russian citizens.”
It added: “Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada.
“Their health condition is not a concern. Four people died. The fate of several tourists is being clarified.”
Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti said 38 Russians were rescued, and cited the Russian consul in Hurghada as saying 14 of those were taken to hospitals, while the rest returned to their hotels.
The group had paid for a sea trip to the coral reefs in Hurghada, according to local media reports.
Security and emergency services responded to the incident, including 21 ambulances, Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.
The submarine had been operating tourist trips in the area for several years, the news outlet added.
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Hurghada is a beach resort town stretching around 25 miles along Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
The submarine embarked off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area, Egyptian officials who did not want to be named, told the Associated Press news agency.
The Red Sea, renowned for its coral reefs and marine life, is a major hub for Egypt’s crucial tourism industry, in which Russian tourists play an increasingly large part.
A United Nations report ranked Egypt first in Africa for tourism revenues in 2024 at $14.1bn (£11bn), more than twice what it earns in Suez Canal revenues, highlighting tourism’s vital role in sustaining the hard-pressed economy.
However, some tourist companies have stopped or limited travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
In November, four people drowned and 33 were rescued when a tourist diving boat was struck by high waves and sank within minutes.
