At least 16 tourists missing after Egyptian yacht carrying Americans sinks in high-waves Red Sea

At slightest 16 radical are missing aft an Egyptian yacht carrying planetary tourists sank successful the Red Sea connected Monday.

Forty-four people, including 13 unit members and 31 tourists, were aboard the Sea Story erstwhile it sank adjacent Marsa Alam, a resort town successful southeastern Egypt. The vessel was carrying tourists for a multi-day diving trip.

Egyptian media outlet Al-Dostor reported that 2 American tourists were connected board, but it is unclear if they are among those missing. Authorities were alerted to the incidental astatine astir 5:30 a.m. connected Monday.

"Immediately, [authorities] informed the Naval Base and the Armed Forces, wherever hunt and rescue teams began operations utilizing a chopper and a marine portion moving from Bernice Harbor towards the rescue site," the Red Sea Governorate explained successful a Facebook post.

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More than a twelve radical are missing aft the Sea Story sank adjacent Marsa Alam connected Monday. (Getty Images)

"The [Egyptian] Control Center and Operations Room proceed to coordinate and travel up astir the timepiece to guarantee each indispensable actions are taken and concern is reassured."

The hunt is ongoing and the fig of deaths person not been officially announced.

Egyptian officials reported that 28 radical person been rescued. Among that group, insignificant injuries similar scrapes and bruising were reported, but nary victims were hospitalized.

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Rescuers hold connected the formation for imaginable survivors aft a vessel sank astatine a harbor successful Marsa Alam. More than a twelve radical stay missing aft a tourer vessel carrying 45 radical capsized successful the Red Sea, Egyptian authorities said connected Monday. (Stringer/picture confederation via Getty Images)

The radical of missing radical includes 12 overseas nationals. The vessel carried citizens of the U.S., Belgium, Spain and Germany, on with citizens of the United Kingdom, China, Finland, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland.

While the origin of the sinking has not been determined, officials judge that a monolithic question capsized it. The vas sank wrong 5 to 7 minutes.

"Some passengers were successful their cabins, which is wherefore they were incapable to escape," Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said successful the statement.

A record photograph dated November 20, 2024 shows an aerial presumption of a pier of Red Sea arsenic yachts and vessel dock successful Marsa Alam, Egypt. (Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Authorities are actively investigating the incident. No further accusation is known astatine this time.

Reuters contributed to this report.