CAIRO: Five people, including two minors, have died in an incident involving a tourist submarine in the Red Sea off the coast of the city ...
CAIRO: Five people, including two minors, have died in an incident involving a tourist submarine in the Red Sea off the coast of the city of Hurghada, Russia’s Consul-General in Hurghada Viktor Voropayev told TASS.
The Egyptian Al-Youm as-Sabia news portal reported six deaths and nine injuries.
TASS has gathered the key information about the incident.
Background of emergency
- According to the Russian Embassy, the incident took place 1 kilometer away from the coast at approximately 10:00 a.m. (8:00 a.m. GMT).
- A total of 46 Russian tourists were on board, including children.
- The fate of eight passengers is being clarified.
- Employees of the Russian Embassy are at the site.
- According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a scheduled tour, which included the exploration of coral reefs off Hurghada.
- The reason behind the incident has not been reported yet.
- The submarine has not been brought to the surface yet.
- At least 20 minors were aboard the sunken submarine, according to a list of tourists published by Al-Youm as-Sabia.
- According to the document, the youngest passengers were aged 3, while the oldest were 62, with many of them sharing last names.
- The Russian Consulate General has not confirmed the authenticity of the list yet.
Deaths and injuries
- Consul-General in Hurghada Viktor Voropayev has said that five people died in the incident, including two minors.
- The Al Youm as-Sabia portal reported six deaths and nine injuries.
- According to the press service of the head of Tatarstan, a married couple of doctors from the republic lost their lives in the incident.
- Their two daughters were hospitalized.
Measures taken
- All dives by tourist submarines have been urgently cancelled, with related tours and ticket sales being halted, the Telegram channel of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia said.
- Meanwhile, a trip using that same submarine, which sunk off the coast of Hurghada in the morning of March 27, can still be booked on the website of its organizer, Sindbad Submarines.
-News Feed
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