A tourist submarine carrying dozens of Russian visitors sank off the coast of Hurghada, Egypt, on Thursday morning, leaving six people dead, including two minors.
According to Egyptian state media, six people lost their lives, while Russia’s General Consul, Viktor Voropaev, confirmed five deaths, two of them minors.
The Russian consulate in Hurghada stated that the submarine was carrying 45 tourists, including children, on an underwater excursion to observe coral reefs when it crashed about one kilometre from the shore around 10:00 a.m. local time.
“According to initial information, most of those on board were rescued and taken to hotels and hospitals in Hurghada,” the consulate said, adding that diplomats had been sent to the pier to monitor the situation.
Egyptian state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper reported that 29 people were rescued, including nine injured passengers.
The Russian news agency Ria Novosti, quoting an Egyptian emergency services source, said that among the dead were five foreigners and one Egyptian.
Local authorities have not yet made an official statement, but investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the accident.
Hurghada, located 460 kilometres southeast of Cairo, is one of Egypt’s most popular tourist destinations, with its airport handling over nine million passengers last year.
The submarine involved in the accident was reportedly owned by Sindbad Submarines, which operates the only recreational submarine in the area, capable of carrying 44 passengers to depths of up to 25 metres.
While tourist boats frequently sail through the Red Sea for snorkelling and diving, the region has seen several deadly accidents in recent years.
In November 2024, a dive boat capsized off Marsa Alam, south of Hurghada, leaving four people dead and seven missing.
In June 2023, another boat sank, but 24 French tourists were safely evacuated. In the same year, three British tourists died after a fire broke out on their yacht.
The Red Sea coral reefs are a major attraction for tourists, contributing significantly to Egypt’s tourism industry, which employs over two million people and generates more than 10 percent of the country’s GDP.
