Egypt says survivors found after tourist boat sinks off its Red Sea coast

Boat sinks while carrying 45 people, including 31 tourists and 14 crew, during diving trip in Marsa Alam town

CAIRO (AA) - Egyptian authorities said Monday that several people have been rescued after a tourist boat sank off the country’s Red Sea coast.

The boat was carrying 45 people, including 31 tourists and 14 crew, 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 local time (03:30 GMT) during its diving trip.

"Some survivors were found in the Al-Ghadeer area in Wadi Al-Jamal" in the city, Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said in a statement, without giving an exact figure.

The governor said that search and rescue efforts were still ongoing, in coordination with the naval forces.

“Naval forces are still searching for survivors,” he added.

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

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