Egypt says 31 rescued, 4 bodies recovered after tourist boat sinks in Red Sea

By Ibrahim Khazen

CAIRO (AA) – Egyptian authorities said Tuesday that four bodies were recovered and 31 people rescued after a tourist boat sank off the country’s Red Sea coast.

The boat was carrying 44 people, including 31 foreigners, on a diving trip when it went down near the coastal town of Marsa Alam early Monday.

Local authorities reported a distress signal from the boat at 05:30 am local time (0330 GMT) during its diving trip.

“Thirty-one people have so far been rescued and four bodies recovered,” Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said in a statement.

He, however, did not specify the nationalities of the people whose bodies were recovered.

The governor said three people were rescued on Tuesday, including two Belgians.

“Efforts are still ongoing to search for nine missing people,” he added.

According to the governor, 31 foreign nationals from the US, Germany, UK, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland were aboard the boat when it sank.

He said investigations are underway to determine the cause of the accident.

The Red Sea is a popular diving destination for tourists in Egypt for its coral reef and marine life.