Egypt tourist boat latest: More survivors rescued as search intensifies for remaining missing passengers
Two Britons are still unaccounted for after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea
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Your support makes all the difference.Four bodies have been recovered from the tourist yacht which was hit by a “huge wave” and sank off the Red Sea coast of Egypt on Monday.
But five more people were found alive today - two Belgian tourists, an Egyptian a Swiss national and a Finnish national - and rescue teams were still searching for eight missing people, the area’s governor said in a statement. This brings the total number of survivors to 33.
Two Britons were among the 16 people initially reported missing, according to Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi. It is unconfirmed whether the Brits were among the bodies recovered on Tuesday.
The rescue is being coordinated by the Egyptian military and the Red Sea Governate, with armed forces aircraft deployed to the scene.
The boat sank off the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam with 31 tourists of various nationalities and 13 crew members on board.
It has not been confirmed what caused the four-deck motor yacht to capsize, but the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had warned about rough weather, advising against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday on the Red Sea.
Yacht operation company ‘has no information on matter’
The yacht was operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, which is based in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada.
The company previously said it has no information on the matter, and has not provided any comment on the rescue operation on Tuesday.
Watch: Egypt tourist yacht survivors gather after boat sinks
Breaking: Fifth survivor of the day rescued
The fifth survivor of the day - a Finnish national - has now been rescued by Egyptian authorities.
It brings the total number of survivors up to 33, with four people confirmed dead and seven people missing.
Earlier today, four people were rescued and four bodies were recovered. On Monday, 28 people were rescued after the boat capsized.
Irish foreign minister says citizen onboard yacht is ‘OK’ - reports
An Irish citizen who was on board a tourist yacht which sank in the Red Sea off Egypt yesterday is safe, Irish media cited foreign minister Micheál Martin as saying.
“My understanding is that Irish citizen is OK and receiving consular assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Mr Martin told reporters in Dublin on Tuesday morning, according to RTE.
Breaking: Another survivor found
Another survivor has been found alive and rescued as the major search and rescue operation continues.
This brings the number of survivors up to 32, with four people confirmed dead and eight people still missing.
It comes after three people were found alive earlier today and four bodies were recovered.
Chinese and Polish nationals declared safe
The Chinese embassy in Egypt said Monday two of its nationals were “in good health” after being “rescued in the cruise ship sinking accident in the Red Sea”, Chinese state media reported.
Pawel Wronski, the Polish foreign ministry spokesman, said authorities “have information that two of the tourists may have had Polish citizenship”.
“That’s all we know about them. That’s all we can say for now,” he said. The Finnish foreign ministry confirmed one of its nationals is missing.
In pictures: Yachts docked and beaches closed amid poor sea conditions
Three found alive and four bodies recovered
Four bodies were recovered on Tuesday and rescue teams were still searching for nine missing people, the Red Sea Governorate said in a statement.
Provincial governor Amr Hanafi said rescue teams had found three people alive - two Belgian tourists and an Egyptian - bringing the total number of survivors to 31.
Survivors all escaped major injuries
All 28 survivors of the Sea Story yacht, which capsized on Monday, were rescued with only minor injuries.
None of the survivors required hospitalisation, authorities reported.
They are now being accommodated in a hotel in Marsa Alam, where they are being given consular assistance by their embassies.
Egypt tourist boat: Everything we know about the incident in the Red Sea
Two Brits are among either three bodies found or 13 people missing after a dive boat was hit by a “huge wave” and capsized off the Red Sea coast of Egypt on Monday 25 November.
In a rescue operation, 28 people were saved from the Sea Story before she sank, according to the governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafi.
These are the key questions and answers.
What was this vessel doing?
Sea Story was a liveaboard diving boat, based near the Red Sea port of Marsa Alam. She is one of dozens of similar vessels that take divers out to some of the most exciting underwater locations on the planet – with reefs, wrecks and colourful fish.
For a week’s voyage with the dive operator, Dive Pro Liveaboard, you would pay €1,220 (just over £1,000) and enjoy three or four dives per day.
The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Egypt tourist boat: Everything we know about the incident in the Red Sea
Foreign Office warns that ‘overcrowding and poor safety standards have caused accidents on Red Sea ferries and Nile cruises’
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