Three British tourists declared dead after Egypt boat fire in Red Sea

Group missing since Sunday, when diving vessel caught fire north of Marsa Alam resort

Flames leap from the boat on Sunday. Reuters

Three British tourists missing since Sunday after a fire on a diving boat in the Red Sea off Egypt have been declared dead, a UK tour operator said.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has contacted the families of the three diving enthusiasts, who were taking part in a week-long trip north of the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam.

Their bodies have not yet been found. But they are thought to have died in the fire as they had decided to stay aboard while their companions went diving.

On Sunday morning, a diving boat named the Hurricane issued a distress signal after a fire broke out due to an electrical problem in its engine room, police officials said.

At the time the fire started, 12 of 15 divers were having a dive briefing, Scuba Travel said in a statement.

The three divers who died were not with the main group as they had decided not to participate in the dive that day.

“It is with great regret that we, as tour operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests, who had not participated in the dive briefing, early on the morning of June 11, perished in the tragic incident,” the company said.

“Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time.”

The 12 tourists who were rescued were able to be moved immediately aboard another diving vessel in the area, the holiday company said.

As the blaze worsened, the 14 crew members, including the captain and two dive guides also abandoned the burning Hurricane after trying and failing to find the missing three tourists, Scuba Travel said.

The vessel, which is still smouldering, is currently being towed to a port to undergo repairs.

Though Scuba Travel confirmed that an official investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire, the Egyptian government is yet to publicly comment on the tourists’ death.

A tourism ministry official declined to comment on the incident when The National reached out for comment.

The fire aboard the Hurricane comes a week after another boat capsized, also near Marsa Alam. All passengers and crew were rescued.

It also comes three days after a shark attack off the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada killed a 23-year-old Russian man and led to the closure for 48 hours of a 60-km stretch of coastline between the resort of El Gouna and Soma Bay to the south.