Egyptian authorities reported that 17 people, including foreign nationals, are missing after a tourist yacht capsized off the Red Sea coast on Monday.
Twenty-eight others were rescued following the incident.
The vessel, “Sea Story”, was carrying 31 tourists of various nationalities along with a 14-member crew.
It sent out a distress signal at “5:30 am local time (0330 GMT)”, according to a statement from Egypt’s Red Sea governorate.
The yacht had departed on Sunday for a multi-day diving trip from Port Ghalib near Marsa Alam in southeast Egypt and was scheduled to dock in Hurghada, approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) to the north, on Friday.
Governor Amr Hanafi confirmed that some survivors were airlifted to safety, while others were rescued by a warship.
He added, “Intensive search operations are underway in coordination with the navy and the armed forces.”
While the nationalities of the tourists have not been officially disclosed, the Chinese embassy in Egypt reported that two of its nationals were “in good health” after being rescued.
Polish foreign ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski also stated that two missing tourists “may have had Polish citizenship,” though further details were not available.
The Red Sea governor’s office has not commented on the cause of the accident.
However, a manager of a nearby diving resort, speaking anonymously, cited a surviving crew member’s account that the yacht was “hit by a wave in the middle of the night, throwing the vessel on its side.”
Marine activities in Hurghada were suspended on Sunday due to adverse weather conditions, though winds around Marsa Alam were reportedly favorable until late Sunday night.
By Monday afternoon, hopes of finding the missing individuals alive began to fade.
The diving resort manager noted that survival chances after 12 hours in the water were slim.
The Red Sea coast, a popular tourist destination in Egypt, has seen a spate of similar boating accidents this year.
In earlier incidents, there were no fatalities, and passengers were safely evacuated.
Earlier this month, 30 people were rescued from a sinking dive boat near the Daedalus Reef.
In June, 24 French tourists were evacuated before their boat sank.
Last year, three British tourists died after a fire engulfed their yacht.
Despite the Red Sea’s appeal for diving and marine activities, safety regulations, while generally robust, are not consistently enforced.
Tourism remains a vital industry for Egypt, employing around two million people and contributing over 10% to the country’s GDP.
However, recent incidents highlight the need for stricter safety measures in the region’s tourism operations.
Efforts to locate the missing passengers continue, as authorities work with local and international stakeholders to address the tragedy
