Red Sea sinking: Search for people missing enters second day

A search for 16 people missing after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea on Monday has resumed for a second day.

Forty-four people were aboard the Sea Story when it sank, officials have said, with 28 having been rescued.

Two of those missing are British, the BBC understands. Finland said one of its nationals was unaccounted for, while authorities say four Egyptians are also missing.

The boat may have sank after being hit by a large wave.

The Sea Story left port near the eastern town of Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving trip, officials said.

The boat with 44 people on board sent a distress signal at 05:30 (03:30 GMT) on Monday, according to the governor of the Red Sea governorate.

Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi said the boat sank within five to seven minutes.

Survivors were found in the Wadi el-Gemal area, south of Marsa Alam, he added.

On Saturday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority issued warnings about turbulence and high waves on the Mediterranean and Red seas.

Wind speeds were between 37-43 mph (60-70 kmph), and wave heights were three to four metres (10-13ft) high, they said.

According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the crew of the Sea Story are all Egyptians while the tourists on board included five Spanish, four British, four Germans and two US nationals.

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said they were providing “support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt”.

The Chinese embassy in Egypt confirmed two of its nationals were “in good health” after being rescued.

Marsa Alam is a popular destination for tourists on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast. It is surrounded by diving spots, including renowned coral reefs.

The Red Sea governorate said the boat was owned by an Egyptian national, and had received a one-year validity certificate in March 2024 when it was inspected by maritime safety.

Hanafi said there were no technical faults at the time of the incident.

He also visited Marsa Alam to see the people rescued, and said they were all in good health, and no-one had needed admission to hospital. The passengers are being received in a tourist hotel in the area, he added.

There was no immediate comment from Sea Story’s Egypt-based owner and operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard.

But it website says the vessel was built in 2022 and is 44m (144ft) long. It has four decks and 18 cabins that can accommodate up to 36 passengers.

Last year, three Britons died off the coast of Marsa Alam after their dive boat caught fire.