A tourist submarine excursion in the Egyptian resort town of Hurghada ended in tragedy on Thursday, with the sub failing to resurface and leaving six people dead and nine injured. The majority of the 45 people on board were Russian tourists, according to the Russian consulate in Hurghada, which has confirmed that all the passengers were of Russian nationality.
The incident occurred around 10:00 am local time on March 27, when the sub, named Sindbad, was on a regular excursion to a coral reef. The sub, operated by Sindbad Submarines, had a capacity of 44 passengers, two pilots and a circular viewing window for each passenger.
Rescue teams managed to save 29 people from the sub, with the remaining 16 still unaccounted for. Four of the deceased were Russian, while the nationalities of the other two remain unknown.
The Russian embassy in Cairo has confirmed the incident, stating that the sub was on a regular excursion to a coral reef and that the majority of the passengers were Russian tourists from the firm Biblio Globus.
The popular tourist destination, stretching around 40 kilometers along the Red Sea coast, has been known for its safety and has been promoted in tourist guides. The sub’s operator, Sindbad Submarines, has described the excursion as a unique underwater experience, allowing passengers to view coral reefs and marine life from the comfort of the sub.