A tourist submarine carrying 45 passengers sank off the Egyptian coast on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of six individuals and injuries to nine others, according to provincial officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Emergency crews managed to rescue 29 people from the sinking vessel near a beach in the tourist promenade area of Hurghada, a popular Red Sea resort.

The submarine, operated by Sindbad Submarines and belonging to the Sindbad Hotel in Hurghada, was on a routine tour to view coral reefs when it sank approximately 1 kilometer (about half a mile) from shore.

Among those on board were all Russian nationals, including some minors, as confirmed by Russian consular officials in Hurghada. The exact number of crew members aboard remains unclear.

The submarine departed around 10 a.m. Thursday and encountered difficulties shortly thereafter. Those rescued were transported to local hospitals and are reported to be in stable condition.

The cause of the sinking is currently unknown. The vessel was designed with 44 passenger seats and two pilot seats, featuring round viewing windows for each passenger, as detailed on the company’s website.

This incident follows a previous tragedy in November when a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, leading to at least four drownings while 33 others were rescued. Despite tourism being a vital sector for Egypt’s economy, many companies have either halted or restricted operations in the Red Sea due to ongoing regional conflicts and safety concerns.

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