Sixteen people including 12 foreigners are missing after a tourist yacht sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast, the local government says.
The Sea Story was carrying 44 people including 31 tourists and 13 crew on a multi-day diving trip when it went down near the town of Marsa Alam, the Red Sea Governorate said in a statement, revising an earlier report of 14 Egyptian crew aboard.
Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi said rescuers saved 28 people from the vessel and some were airlifted to receive medical treatment.
The governorate received a report shortly before dawn on Monday of a distress call made from the yacht, which had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on November 29.
It was not immediately clear what caused the four-desk, wooden-hulled motor yacht to sink.
But the Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.
A person answering the phone at the company that operates the yacht, Dive Pro Liveaboard in Hurghada, Egypt, told the Associated Press they have "no information" and hung up.
According to their website, the Sea Story was built in 2022 and can hold 36 passengers.
Foreigners aboard the 34-metre-long vessel included people from the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland.
Hanafi said that Egypt is collaborating with embassies, consulates and relevant authorities to facilitate documentation for the rescued passengers, who are being accommodated at a hotel in Marsa Alam, and to ensure their needs are met.
The Red Sea is a popular diving destination renowned for its coral reefs and marine life and is important for Egypt's tourism industry.
Hanafi said that the boat likely sank near the Sataya Reef, without giving further information.
He said a thorough technical review confirmed no faults with the boat, which had passed its last inspection by the Maritime Safety Authority in March 2024, receiving a one-year validity certificate.
with Reuters
