Cachela Smith and Lana Lam
BBC News
David MacArthur MBE/Reuters
The Sinbad submarine ship is seen off the coast of Hargada in August 2022.
Six people were killed after tourist submarines sank into Egypt’s Red Sea.
Local officials say 39 other people were rescued after the ship sank around local time. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the ship had hit the reef and lost pressure.
Authorities said two married doctors were among the deceased and their daughters remained in the hospital. Russian officials said the other two who died were children, according to Tas, the state news agency in Russia.
This is the second incident in recent months that involves a tourism vessel in the Red Sea. It was estimated that 11 people died in a capsized boat near Marsa Alam in November.
Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said the “Sinbad” passengers are from Russia, India, Norway and Sweden. Five Egyptian crews were also on board.
Hanafi said that all six of the deaths were Russians, but details of the victims have not been released yet.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, but a association of Russian tour operators has reportedly not reported that the submarine had hit a coral reef and then lost pressure at a depth of 20 meters (65 feet).
Hurghada is located southeast of Cairo. Cairo is a tourist destination known for its beaches and coral reefs.
Dr. James Aldridge of Bristol made the same trip to the submarine in February 2025. He told the BBC:
“It has fresh paint, modern equipment and courteous, professional English-speaking staff (including two divers who will accompany you).”
He explained that passengers were listening to safety briefings recorded in multiple languages, and said no life jackets were issued.
“We toured the reef for 40 minutes. The first 20 people were facing a coral reef. The sub never “get too close” and felt unsafe. On my return trip, I was facing the sea,” he added.
