Six people have died and 39 others were rescued after a viewing submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
The local governor's office said that the six people who died in the incident were Russian, and those who were rescued were foreign tourists. No passengers or crew members are still missing.
The Red Sea Governorate said the submarine, named "Sindbad", had 50 people onboard: 45 tourists of different nationalities from Russia, India, Norway, and Sweden, and five Egyptian crew members.
"Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada," the Russian consulate in Hurghada said.
The submarine was equipped with large portholes to let passengers see the Red Sea's spectacular corals and marine life, and was able to descend to a depth of 25 metres, according to the company's website.
The Red Sea is a major hub for Egypt's crucial tourism industry, a pillar of the economy, in which Russian tourists play an increasing part.
Egyptian authorities are conducting investigations with crew members to determine the causes of the submarine sinking, the local governorate cited Red Sea Province Governor Amr Hanafy as saying.
The submarine, which is owned by an Egyptian, was licensed and so was the crew captain, he said.
Hurghada, a tourist city about 460km southeast of the Egyptian capital Cairo, is a major destination for visitors to Egypt, with its airport receiving more than nine million passengers last year, according to state media.
Today's forecast in the city was clear, with above average winds reported but optimum visibility underwater.
While dozens of tourist boats sail through the coastal area daily for snorkelling and diving activities, Sindbad Submarines says it deploys the region's "only real" recreational submarine.
The vessel has been operational in the area for multiple years, according to a source familiar with the company.
The Red Sea coral reefs and islands off Egypt's eastern coast are major draws, contributing to the country's vital tourism sector which employs two million people and generates more than 10% of GDP.
The area has been the site of several deadly incidents in recent years.
In November, a dive boat capsized off the coast of Marsa Alam, south of Hurghada, leaving four dead and seven missing.
Thirty people were rescued from another sinking boat, while last June two dozen French tourists were safely evacuated before their boat sank in a similar accident.
In 2023, three British tourists died after a fire broke out on their yacht, engulfing their vessel in flames.
