Four bodies recovered and three more people rescued in search for yacht tourists

Four survivors person been recovered arsenic portion of a hunt for 16 radical missing aft a tourer vessel sank disconnected Egypt's Red Sea coast.

The Sea Story was carrying 44 including 31 tourists and 13 unit connected a multi-day diving travel erstwhile it went down southbound of the coastal municipality of Marsa Alam, the Red Sea Governorate said successful a statement.

Twenty-eight radical were saved by rescuers, Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said.

On Tuesday greeting it was reported that 4 bodies had been recovered on with 3 survivors, who were 2 Belgians and an Egyptian. A 4th idiosyncratic was aboriginal recovered alive.

There are reports that 4 Britons were connected committee the vessel, and 2 of them stay missing.

Rescue operations are being co-ordinated by the Egyptian subject and the Red Sea Governorate and resumed astatine archetypal airy connected Tuesday.

The 28 radical initially rescued had lone insignificant injuries specified arsenic bruises and scrapes with nary requiring hospitalisation, reported the BBC.

A distress telephone was made from the yacht soon earlier dawn connected Monday.

The vas had near Marsa Alam for a five-day sailing expedition.

Mr Hanafi said that according to those connected board, a “high oversea wave” deed the vas and caused it to capsize successful “about 5 oregon 7 minutes”.

“Some passengers were successful their cabins, which is wherefore they were incapable to escape,” helium added successful his statement.

Mr Hanafi besides ruled retired that determination was a method defect to the ship, saying that each the required licences had been obtained for The Sea Story.

The governorate said a distress telephone was received astatine 5.30am (3.30am GMT) from the boat, which had departed from Porto Ghalib successful Marsa Alam connected Sunday with plans to instrumentality to Hurghada Marina connected November 29.

Egyptian equipped forces frigates and craft swept the country successful hunt of the missing, which section officials said included 12 overseas nationals, but by 5pm section clip (3pm GMT) the hunt had been paused for the night, a authorities root told Reuters.

The overseas nationals aboard the 34-metre-long vessel, owned by an Egyptian national, included Britons, Americans, Belgians, Chinese, Finns, Germans, Irish, Poles, Slovakians, Spanish, and Swiss.

A surviving unit subordinate said the Sea Story was “hit by a question successful the mediate of the night, throwing the vas connected its side”, according to a manager astatine a adjacent diving resort.

Authorities successful Hurghada had unopen down marine activities connected Sunday owed to “bad upwind conditions”.

Mr Hanafi said that Egypt is collaborating with embassies, consulates, and applicable authorities to facilitate documentation for the rescued passengers, who are existent being accommodated astatine a edifice successful Marsa Alam, and to guarantee their needs are met.

The UK Foreign Office said it is providing consular enactment to a fig of British nationals and their families and are successful interaction with the section authorities.

The Red Sea is simply a fashionable diving destination renowned for its coral reefs and marine beingness and is important for Egypt's captious tourism industry.

Mr Hanafi said that the vessel apt sank adjacent the Sataya Reef, without giving further information.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of precocious waves connected the Red Sea and advised against maritime enactment connected Sunday and Monday.

The yacht was operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, which is based successful the Egyptian edifice of Hurghada.

The institution said it has nary accusation connected the matter.

He said a thorough method reappraisal confirmed nary faults with the boat, which had passed its past inspection by the Maritime Safety Authority successful March 2024, receiving a one-year validity certificate.

The Egyptian Red Sea Ports Authority said successful a connection it had closed maritime postulation successful the country connected Sunday day erstwhile the upwind velocity reached 34 knots and question tallness reached 3-4 metres (10-13 ft).

This is the 2nd vessel to descend successful the country this year. In June, a vessel sank aft it suffered terrible harm from beardown waves, the Environment Ministry said astatine the time. No casualties were reported.

In June past year, 3 Britons died erstwhile the diving vessel they were connected burst into flames disconnected Marsa Alam. The occurrence was caused by a suspected electrical fault.