Another tragedy in the Red Sea. At least six people have died and nine others have been injured in Hurghada, on the Egyptian coast, after a submarine carrying tourists had an accident, as reported by Efe following a publication by the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Another 29 people aboard the submarine were rescued unharmed, according to the Cairo-based outlet citing local authorities. Four of the injured are reportedly in critical condition. The submarine was navigating off one of the beaches in the tourist area with 45 tourists on board, all of them Russian according to the Russian embassy in Egypt.
The accident is said to have occurred on a submarine belonging to the Sinbad company, which claims to own two of the only "14 real recreational submarines" in the world. The company allows tourists to dive to 25 meters (82 feet) deep to explore "500 meters of coral reef and its marine inhabitants," as stated on its website.
Tourism is an important sector of Egypt's economy, but many tourism companies have halted or limited trips in the Red Sea due to the dangers arising from conflicts in the region.