Six tourists dead and 39 rescued as submarine sinks off Egypt's Red Sea coast

Nine people injured in incident near beach resort city of Hurghada, involving sightseeing vessel carrying 45 passengers

At least six people were reported dead and nine injured when a tourist submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea city of Hurghada on Thursday.

The submarine and its crew were taking 45 passengers of various nationalities on a tour of coral reefs when the incident occurred, two municipal officials from the beach resort told The National. Russia's consulate in Hurghada had said all 45 tourists on board were Russians.

Emergency services personnel in the city told The National that six foreigners had died, two more than the figure given by Russian officials.

The incident took place off the Hurghada Marriott Hotel marina. Some reports said the vessel, reported to be named Sindbad and operated by Sindbad Submarines in the city, was about 1km from the coast.

A preliminary police investigation indicated that a collision with a coral reef caused the submarine's cabin to depressurise, allowing water to flood in, said officials. Red Sea governorate said there would be a thorough investigation into the incident, reported to have taken place at about 10am local time.

Emergency services teams rescued 29 people, said the authorities. Unconfirmed reports said the injured were in a critical condition.

Sinbad Submarines Hurghada. Photo: Sinbad Submarines

Russia's consulate in Hurghada posted a statement on Facebook saying there were 45 tourists on board, including children, and that all were Russian citizens.

It said the Sindbad was carrying out a regular trip to the coral reef. The consulate said four people had been killed, while the fate of several tourists was still being determined.

“Diplomats of the general consulate are on the pier,” said the Russian consulate.

A medical official from the Hurghada ambulance service told The National that six people died, all of whom were Russian. The injured included three Egyptians and three Indian nationals, added the official.

A statement from the Red Sea governorate also confirmed that six Russian had died in the incident and that 39 had come out of it alive.

A vessel pictured on the Sindbad Submarines website features portholes along its sides, through which passengers can view the Red Sea's aquatic life.

In November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of heavy seas. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued.

Tourism is an important sector of Egypt's economy but many companies have stopped or limited travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.