Red Sea tourist yacht capsizes: 17 missing, 28 rescued
Egyptian authorities announced that 17 people are missing after a tourist yacht capsized off the Red Sea coast on Monday, and 28 others were rescued, channelstv.com reports.
The vessel, carrying 31 tourists of various nationalities and a crew of 14, sent a distress signal at 5:30 a.m.
The Sea Story departed on Sunday for a tour in southeastern Egypt and was scheduled to dock in Hurghada on Friday.
Governor Amr Hanafi stated that some survivors were rescued by air, while others were safely transferred aboard a warship.
“Extensive search operations are ongoing in coordination with the navy and armed forces,” Hanafi added in a statement.
The Chinese Embassy in Egypt stated on Monday that two of its citizens are “in good health” after being “rescued from the Red Sea cruise ship sinking,” according to Chinese state media.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski stated that authorities “have information suggesting that two of the tourists might be Polish nationals.”
“This is all we know about them. This is all we can say for now,” he told the national news agency PAP.
The Red Sea, one of Egypt’s premier tourist destinations, draws millions of visitors each year. The tourism sector, essential for this nation of 105 million currently facing an economic crisis, employs roughly two million people and generates over 10% of the GDP.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
