Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
What happened
Three bodies have been recovered after a tourist boat capsized in the Red Sea Monday. Another 13 people remain missing from the vessel, which sank south of the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam.
Who said what
The boat, Sea Story, was carrying 31 tourists and 13 crew on a five-day diving trip when distress signals were sent out shortly before dawn Monday, Egyptian officials said. Two Americans were on board, as well as foreign nationals from the U.K., Germany, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland.
It was "not immediately clear" what caused the four-deck, wooden-hulled motor yacht to sink, said CNN, but the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had advised against maritime activity on Sunday, when the Sea Story set sail, and Monday, due to turbulence and high waves. Sea Story is operator Dive Pro Liveaboard's "third vessel to experience a serious incident in the Red Sea in as many years," said The Telegraph.
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What next?
A manager of a diving resort close to the rescue operation, who asked not to be named, told AFP it was "unlikely that the missing would be rescued after 12 hours in the water," per The Guardian.
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Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.
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