8 still missing, search continues after Egypt tour boat sinks on Red Sea diving trip
Egyptian authorities said Tuesday that eight more people had been found after a tourist boat carrying a dive group sank early the previous morning off the country's Red Sea coast. Four more people were found alive — two Belgians and one Egyptian and one Swiss national — bringing the total number rescued from the capsized luxury yacht to 32.
Four others were found dead, Red Sea Governate authorities said Tuesday, and eight people were still missing amid an ongoing search operation.
The Red Sea governorate initially said 45 people were on the boat but later revised the figure down to 44, including the 13 crew and 31 tourists of different nationalities.
The luxury yacht Sea Story capsized early Monday morning after setting sail Sunday from Port Ghalib Marina, near Marsa Alam on Egypt's Red Sea coast, for a diving trip that was scheduled to last until Friday, when the boat should have docked in Hurghada.
The regional Red Sea control center received a distress signal at 5:30 a.m. local time on Monday from a member of the Sea Story crew, regional authorities said in a statement, and search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the location.
Red Sea Governor Maj. Gen. Amr Hanafi said some of the survivors were airlifted from the site for medical treatment, while the remaining survivors were assisted on rescue vessels until a military frigate arrived to transport them back to shore.
The governor said military aircraft and naval units were still searching Monday for the 16 left missing, and the survivors were receiving medical care as required.
The cause of the accident and the nationalities of the victims had not been confirmed as of Monday afternoon in Egypt. Hanafi said the boat was inspected in March and there were no issues; the boat obtained a license for a year.
According to The Associated Press, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had warned that high seas were expected on the Red Sea Sunday and Monday, and advised against maritime activity for both days.