Six people have reportedly died after a tourist submarine sank off the coast of Egypt.
A further nine have been left injured in the incident, with four in critical condition, according to local reports.
The tourist submarine, named Sindbad, had been carrying 44 passengers at the time of the sinking on Thursday, as it sailed off the coast of Hurghada.
Rescue services have so far managed to save 29 people, reports Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm.
The Red Sea Security Directorate received a report of the tourist submarine sinking, which took place in front of the marina of a ‘famous hotel’ that has not yet been named in local media.
Sources have confirmed to the newspaper that the Red Sea Health Directorate and the Egyptian Ambulance Authority have been placed on maximum alert following the incident.
Some 21 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene of the accident, and have been transporting the injured to local hospitals due to the severity of their conditions.
The 44 passengers ‘of different nationalities’ had been out on a sea trip to see Egypt’s coral reefs and tropical fish before the vessel, which can reportedly dive to depths of up to 25 metres, sank.
According to the daily newspaper, the submarine has been operating tourist trips in Hurghada for several years.
The cause and circumstance of the sinking have not yet been confirmed or reported.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
