What was supposed to be a unique nautical experience took a grave wrong turn as a submarine carrying 45 tourists in the Red Sea ended up sinking, killing six in its wake.
What makes matters worse is that two of the six are believed to be children. On a lighter note, though, the remaining 39 were thankfully rescued from drowning.
What went down exactly
The tourist submarine in question, also known as the Sindbad, sank at around 10 a.m. local time about one kilometer off the coast of Hurghada, a coastal tourist city renowned for diving, snorkeling, and its coral reefs in Egypt.
More about the cruise
The Sindbad runs one to three-hour-long tours, usually cruising at about (65-80 feet) underwater.
The submarine has panoramic windows at its bottom to give a breathtaking view of the marine life, as per the AP report, based on the company’s website that the Russian consulate identified as running the vessel.
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Who was on board?
The submarine had 45 people on board in addition to five Egyptian crew members.
There is debate on the nationalities of the tourists onboard, as the Russian consulate claims that all the tourists were Russians whereas Red Sea governor Major General Amr Hanafi stated that the tourists included Indian, Norwegian, and Swedish citizens.
The status of those on board
Six have tragically died in the wake of this horrid incident, all believed to be Russians. In addition, two of those six are believed to be children, according to Russia’s consul in Hurghada.
As for the rest, they were rescued but 29 out of the 39 tourists unfortunately sustained injuries. No victims have been publicly named yet.
The reason why the submarine sank
The exact reason as to why the submarine sank is still unknown. The weather was calm at the time of the cruise, so it is excluded as a contributing factor.
A Telegram post from the Association of Tour Operators of Russia has speculated that the submarine might have hit a reef and lost pressure. However, this is still not confirmed, as per the BBC.
Will it affect tourism in Egypt?
Tourism is pivotal for Egypt’s economy. However, many tourist companies have toned down their travels to the Red Sea due to the ongoing conflicts in the region.
Egyptian authorities are currently investigating the causes of the submarine sinking. Major General Hanafi also confirmed that both the vessel and the captain had valid licenses.
