Six Russians dead after tourist submarine sinks in Egypt

Six Russian tourists have died after a tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea near the Egyptian city of Hurghada.

Thirty-nine other people were rescued after the vessel – the Sindbad – sank at about 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT), officials say. Nine are said to have been injured with four in critical condition.

Two of those who died were children, Russia’s Tass news agency reports, citing a Russian official.

Authorities are still investigating and it is currently not known what caused the incident.

This is the second incident involving a tourist vessel in the Red Sea in recent months. In November, a boat capsized near Marsa Allam, which left 11 people missing, presumed dead.

The Sindbad had been in operation as a tourist submarine for a number of years.

Sindbad Submarines, the company running the trips, says its vessels take passengers on journeys to explore coral reefs near the Hurghada coastline.

The Red Sea governor, Amr Hanafy, said the 45 passengers on the Sindbad were from Russia, India, Norway and Sweden. Five Egyptian crew members were also on board.

Mr Hanafy said the six who died were all Russian, but full details of the victims have not yet been released.

Two married doctors are among those who have died and their daughters remain in hospital, authorities said.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, but the Association of Tour Operators of Russia cited in a Telegram post the submarine hit a reef and subsequently lost pressure while at a depth of 20 metres (65 feet).

The city of Hurghada is located to the south-east of Cairo – a tourist destination which is known both for its beaches and coral reefs.

Sindbad Submarines’ website says its tours allow passengers to travel 25 metres (82 feet) underwater.

Dr James Aldridge from Bristol took the same trip on the submarine in February 2025. He told the BBC: “The sub was well-maintained and was as shown in the promotional photos.

“Fresh paint, modern equipment and with attentive and professional English-speaking staff (including two divers to accompany you down).”

He explained passengers listened to a safety briefing, which had been recorded in multiple languages, and said that life jackets were not issued.

“We toured the reef for 40 minutes. For the first 20 I was facing the reef, the sub never strayed ‘too close’ and I never felt unsafe. For the return trip, I was facing the ocean,” he added.