Egypt missing yacht latest: Two Britons among 16 missing after Red Sea boat capsizes in ‘five or seven minutes’
Two Britons are feared missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea, according to the BBC
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Your support makes all the difference.Two Britons are reported to be among dozens of people feared missing after a tourist yacht was hit by a “huge wave” and sank off the coast of Egypt on Monday.
At least 16 people are said to be missing despite a massive rescue operation saving 28 people from the imperilled vessel, according to the governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafi.
The boat sank off the south of the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam with 31 tourists of various nationalities on board along with 13 crew members.
Mr Hanafi said a “huge wave” hit the yacht and caused it to capsize in about five to seven minutes as some passengers were trapped inside their cabins.
Some tourists were airlifted to receive medical treatment. It has not been confirmed what caused the four-deck motor yacht to sink.
But the Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about rough weather and large waves, advising against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday on the Red Sea.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt and are in contact with the local authorities.”
When was the distress call made?
A distress call was received at 5.30am from the boat, which had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on 29 November.
Egyptian armed forces frigates and aircraft swept the area in search of the missing, but by 5pm the search had been paused for the night, a government source told Reuters on Monday.
Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi said that Egypt is collaborating with embassies, consulates, and relevant authorities to facilitate documentation for the rescued passengers, who are staying at a hotel in Marsa Alam, and to ensure their needs are met.
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.
How have governments responded?
Sixteen people, including two Britons and four Egyptians, are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea off Egypt.
The Sea Story was carrying 44 in total, including 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland, when the vessel was hit by a “high sea wave”, causing it to capsize.
The UK foreign office said it was providing consular support to “a number of British nationals and their families” after the sinking.
Ireland’s department of foreign affairs also told The Associated Press in an email that it is “aware of this incident and is providing consular assistance” without revealing further details.
Spain’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of any Spanish nationals among the missing. The ministry said that five Spanish nationals were rescued and are out of danger.
Watch: Rescuers help survivors of boat sunk off Red Sea coast as two Britons feared missing
What happened and how was the rescue coordinated?
The yacht, named Sea Story, had left Marsa Alam for a five-day journey when a distress call was made shortly before dawn on Monday.
Amr Hanafi, governor of the Red Sea region, said that according to those on board, a “high sea wave” hit the vessel and caused it to capsize in “about five or seven minutes”.
Some passengers were inside the cabins, “which is why they couldn’t get out of the boat”, his statement on Facebook said.
Mr Hanafi ruled out any technical defect with the ship, saying that all the required licences were obtained before the trip. It was last checked for naval safety in March, according to officials.
Rescue operations are being co-ordinated by the Egyptian military and the Red Sea Governorate.
Armed forces aircraft were deployed above the scene as part of the response.
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 said it has no information on the matter.
What caused the yacht to sink?
It was not immediately clear what caused the four-deck motor yacht to sink after it departed from the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam on Monday.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about rough weather and large waves, advising against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday on the Red Sea.
Governor of the Red Sea region Amr Hanafi according to those on board, a huge wave hit the vessel and caused it to capsize in about five or seven minutes.
Some passengers were inside the cabins, “which is why they couldn’t get out of the boat”, his statement on Facebook said.
Technical issue ruled out
Governor of the Red Sea region Amr Hanafi ruled out that there was a technical defect to the ship, saying that all the required licences had been obtained for The Sea Story.
Yacht was carrying 31 foreigners
Amr Hanafi, governor of the Red Sea region, said the yacht was carrying 44 people. It has capacity for 48 people, according to its website.
This included 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland.
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