The tourist submarine sinks off the Egyptian coast, leaving six dead

Cairo: A tourist submarine that took dozens of people, mainly Russian, to see the coral reefs of the Red Sea sinking out of the Egyptian city of Hurghada, leaving six deaths and other wounds, said two municipal officials on Thursday.

The emergency crews were able to save at least 38 Russians, the Russian console of Hurghada told the Ria Novosti country’s state press agency. The report says that 14 of them were hospitalized and the rest has returned to the hotel.

Russian and Egyptian officials did not say immediately what the pension the submarine caused.

The Tass news agency in Russia said that five Russians were confirmed dead, including two children. The two Egyptian municipal officials said that the total toll was six, but the nationality of the sixth was not immediately known. The officials spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to inform the media.

The Russian consulate in Hurghada declared in a declaration that 45 Russians were aboard the submarine, “Sindbad”, which operated by a hotel with the same name. It was not immediately known how many crew members or other tourists were on board, but the submarine has a capacity of 50 people.

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Hurghada is one of the main destinations for divers, snilels and other tourists designed by vast coral reefs in the Red Sea. Numerous points of sale offer tours in submarines with large windows at the bottom to allow groups to view coral reefs and marine life, usually on a cruise about 20 meters deep.

In November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough water, Egyptian officials said. At least four people are drowned, while 33 have been saved.

Tourism is an important sector of the Egyptian economy, but many tourist companies have stopped or limited by traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers of conflicts in the region.