Two children among six dead on stricken Red Sea tourist sub that sank off coast of Egypt
27 March 2025, 10:01 | Updated: 27 March 2025, 14:02
Two children are among six people who have died after a tourist submarine sank off the coast of Egypt.
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Nine others were injured, with four of them understood to be in critical condition and fighting for life. At least 29 people have been rescued.
Russian state media said two of the six people who died in the incident were children.
Two other children were orphaned after their parents, both doctors, died in the disaster.
Anaesthetist Ravil Valiullin, 40, and his wife Kristina, 39, a children’s doctor, were killed on the vessel. Their daughters - aged ten and 15 - survived. They are now in hospital, after being orphaned by the tragedy.
Multiple ambulances were dispatched to the shore near the site of the incident in tourist hotspot Hurghada.
The cause of the incident has not yet been revealed.
Local media reports that a vessel named ‘Sindbad’ sank with around 44 passengers of different nationalities on board.
The submersible was allegedly in "terrible condition" before the doomed voyage.
Russian news outlets reported that tourists complained about issues with the vessel, including its glass windows and the quality of life jackets.
One person on board said: "Before the excursion, the guides did not conduct any instructions and did not tell what to do in case of an emergency.
"So after hitting a reef at depth, people simply did not know what to do and how to swim out. Water flooded the cabin and people panicked.”
The submarine had been operating tourist trips for several years.
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The craft is understood to be a 'semi submarine' designed for underwater sightseeing where tourists can observe marine life from a lower deck which is under water.
The Red Sea Security Directorate received a report of the tourist submarine sinking in front of the marina of 'one of the famous hotels' in Hurghada, according to reports. The hotel has not yet been identified.
Around 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 Russian embassy in Egypt claimed in a post on Facebook that all of the tourists on board were Russian.
The post read: "On March 27, around 10:00, at a distance of 1 km from the shore, an accident of the submersible 'Sindbad', belonging to the hotel of the same name occurred.
"The submersible carried out a regular underwater excursions with inspection of the coral reef.
"In addition to crew members, there were 45 tourists on board, including minors. All of them are Russian citizens, tourists of the company 'Biblio Globus' (the host tour company in Egypt - 'Biblio globus Egypt Tours')
"According to initial data, most of the passengers on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada.
"Their health is not a cause for concern. Four people have been killed. The fate of several tourists is being determined.
"Diplomats of the General Consulate are on the pier of the 'Sindbad' hotel."
In November, a tourist boat called the Sea Story sank, leaving 11 dead or missing - including a British couple - and 35 survivors.
Egyptian authorities attributed the disaster to a huge wave, but survivors said there were safety issues on board.
Sindbad has been running tourist trips in the area for many years.
The company boasts it holds two of the only "14 real recreational submarines" in the world.
The vessels allow tourists to travel 25 metres (82 feet) below the surface to explore "500 metres of coral reef and its marine inhabitants".
The operator's website states: "It offers 44 passenger seats - two pilots' seats and a sizeable round viewing window for each passenger."
