four dead and four survivors found after the sinking of a tourist boat, eight people still missing

The day after the sinking of a tourist boat, rescuers discovered four bodies and four survivors off the east coast of Egypt on Tuesday, November 26, declared the governor of the Red Sea, Amr Hanafi.

The boat, which carried “31 tourists of different nationalities as well as 13 crew members”had launched distress signals Monday at 5:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. in Paris), according to the Red Sea governorate. Mr. Amr Hanafi said in a statement on Tuesday that the four bodies found had not yet been identified.

Among the four survivors, there are two Belgian tourists, a Swiss and an Egyptian, said the governor, bringing the total number of survivors to 32. “Rescue operations continue to find eight people still missing”he added.

Boat sunk in 5 to 7 minutes

The Sea-Story had left Port Ghalib, near Marsa Alam, in southeastern Egypt, on Sunday for a multi-day diving expedition. He was due to reach Hurghada, 200 kilometers further north, on Friday.

The governor of the Red Sea region said Monday that the boat sank within 5 to 7 minutes after being hit by the wave. Some passengers – including European, Chinese and American tourists – were unable to get out of their cabins in time. Army rescuers and a passing tourist boat rescued 28 people on Monday.

According to a hospital source in Marsa Alam, six tourists and three Egyptians were admitted with minor injuries and discharged from the hospital the same day. Among these tourists are “two Germans, two British, a Spaniard and a Swiss”said the hospital administrator on condition of anonymity.

Passengers of 11 nationalities

According to the governorate, the boat, which belongs to an Egyptian national, was carrying passengers from Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, from Spain and Ireland. Among the missing are two Polish tourists and two Finns, according to the foreign ministries of the two countries.

Egyptian authorities said the boat was fully approved and had passed all checks. A preliminary investigation revealed no technical faults. Egyptian meteorological services warned on Saturday of turbulence and high waves in the Red Sea and advised against all activity on Sunday and Monday, according to the Associated Press agency. Monday's accident is at least the third of its kind reported this year near Marsa Alam.

The Red Sea, one of Egypt's top tourist destinations, attracts millions of visitors every year. The tourism sector, crucial for this country of 105 million inhabitants in the midst of an economic crisis, employs around 2 million people and contributes to more than 10% of its gross domestic product.