Featured Image Credit: Sinbad Submarines
Topics: Egypt, Russia, World News
Ella Scott
It’s believed all passengers onboard a tourist submarine that sank in the Red Sea are Russian, according to the embassy in Egypt.
At least six holidaymakers are feared dead and nine injured after a submarine named ‘Sinbad’ sunk less than a mile away from the Hurghada marina in Egypt.
The tourist submarine sank on Thursday morning (March 27) at 10.00am with 45 passengers on board, as well as crew.
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Egyptian officials, who did not want to be named, told The Associated Press that the submarine embarked from one of the tourist promenade areas of a Hurghada beach before sinking in front of one of the most famous hotels.
The affected group of travelers had paid for a three-hour sea trip to the coral reefs in Hurghada, local media explained.
In a new update, the Russian Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, confirmed there were 45 tourists on board the vessel, including minors.
“All of them are Russian citizens, tourists of the company ‘Biblio Globus’ (the host tour company in Egypt - ‘Biblio globus Egypt Tours’,” a Facebook post, translated from Russian, reads.
“According to initial data, most of the passengers on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada.
“Their health is not a cause for concern. Four people have been killed. The fate of several tourists is being determined,” the post added.
Following the incident, the Red Sea Health Directorate and the Egyptian Ambulance Authority was reportedly placed on maximum alert, dispatching 21 ambulances to the scene, along with security and rescue forces.
Sinbad has frequently been used on tourist excursions over the last several years, allowing tourists to travel 25 metres (82 feet) deep in the sea to explore '500 metres of coral reef and its marine inhabitant’, according to the Sindbad Submarines website.
"[Go] below sea level for 40 minutes enjoying the corals and fish with divers show to take photos for unforgettable memory, then you will be transferred back by the same boat to the marine,” the site reads.
The passenger boat offers each tourist ‘a sizable round viewing window’ to ‘experience the beauty of the Red Sea’s underwater world'.
“It’s perfect for all ages and the memories will last a lifetime.
"We provide point-to-point transfer from your hotel to our terminal, including land-sea transportation, and all with an excellent level of service."
The day trip also says oxygen masks and life vests are available in the vessel in case of an emergency.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
UNILAD has previously reached out to Sinbad Submarines for further comment.