Six people were killed and nine injured when the tourist submarine Sinbad sank off the coast of Hurghada on Thursday.
The incident occurred during a sea excursion, 44 passengers of different nationalities were on board. Rescuers managed to evacuate 29 people.
The submarine, capable of diving to a depth of about 22 metres, sank near a yacht marina off the coast of one of the hotels.
Following the incident, the Red Sea Safety Authority and medical and rescue services were put on high alert. Twenty-one ambulances arrived on the scene for emergency hospitalisation of the injured.
The tour was organised by Sindbad Submarines, which operates Africa’s only tourist submarines. There are a total of 14 such submarines in the world, two of which are located in Hurghada. The bathyscaphes can accommodate 44 passengers and allow tourists to descend to depths of up to 25 metres to observe marine life in the Red Sea.
