Sixteen missing after tourist boat sinks off Egypt's Red Sea coast

Sixteen people including 12 foreign nationals are missing after a tourist boat sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast, the local government said on Monday.

The Sea Story was carrying 44 including 31 tourists and 13 crew on a multi-day diving trip when it went down near the town of Marsa Alam, the Red Sea Governorate said in a statement, revising an earlier report of 14 Egyptian crew aboard.

Twenty-eight people were rescued and had only minor injuries such as bruises and scrapes with none requiring hospitalisation, it said.

Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said that preliminary reports suggested a sudden large wave struck the boat, capsizing it within 5-7 minutes.

"Some passengers were in their cabins, which is why they were unable to escape," he added in the statement.

The governorate said a distress call was received at 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) from the boat, which had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on Nov. 29.

Egyptian armed forces frigates and aircraft swept the area in search of the missing, but by 5:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) the search had been paused for the night, a government source told Reuters on Monday.

The foreign nationals aboard the 34-metre-long vessel, owned by an Egyptian national, included Americans, Belgians, British, Chinese, Finns, Germans, Irish, Poles, Slovakians, Spanish, and Swiss.

Hanafi said that Egypt is collaborating with embassies, consulates, and relevant authorities to facilitate documentation for the rescued passengers, who are current being accommodated at a hotel in Marsa Alam, and to ensure their needs are met.

Britain's foreign office said that it is 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.

The Red Sea is a popular diving destination renowned for its coral reefs and marine life and is important for Egypt's vital tourism industry.

Hanafi said that the boat likely sank near the Sataya Reef, without giving further information.

He said a thorough technical review confirmed no faults with the boat, which had passed its last inspection by the Maritime Safety Authority in March 2024, receiving a one-year validity certificate.

The Egyptian Red Sea Ports Authority said in a statement it had closed maritime traffic in the area on Sunday afternoon when the wind speed reached 34 knots and wave height reached 3-4 metres (10-13 ft).

This is the second boat to sink in the area this year. In June, a boat sank after it suffered severe damage from strong waves, the Environment Ministry said at the time. No casualties were reported.

(Reporting by Mohamed Ezz, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Yusri Mohamed; additional reporting by Alan Charlish, writing by Mohamed Ezz; editing by Mark Heinrich and Alex Richardson)