UPDATE - Egypt says 28 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

UPDATES WITH DETAILS, MINOR EDITS

By Ahmed Asmar

CAIRO (AA) – Egyptian authorities said Monday that 28 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 am local time (0330 GMT) during its diving trip.

“Twenty-eight people have been rescued from the boat,” Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said in a statement, without specifying their nationalities.

He added that search efforts were still ongoing for 17 missing people.

Hanafi said that a frigate and aircraft were searching the area for other survivors, in coordination with naval forces.

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

Kaynak:

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