Three Brits missing after Red Sea scuba boat catches fire in Egypt

Three British tourists have gone missing after a scuba diving boat they were on caught fire near Egypt’s Red Sea coast. The boat, named “Hurricane,” was carrying 12 crew members and 12 British passengers when it was engulfed in flames off the southern Red Sea resort town of Marsa Alam. Egyptian authorities have attributed the fire to an electrical short circuit in the engine room.

The twelve crew members and nine of the British tourists were rescued, while a search party has been deployed to locate the missing individuals. The boat was on a six-day cruise and was due to return on the day the fire occurred, approximately 25km north of Marsa Alam. The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is in contact with Egyptian authorities and is supporting the British nationals involved.

Images shared on social media reveal a white motor yacht engulfed in flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky. Ahmed Maher, a diving manager in Marsa Shagra village, said, “We saw smoke from the boat, it was around 9km from the beach. A nearby boat rescued them and dropped them off.”

Fatal boat accidents are a rarity in Egypt. Last year, a boat capsized in a lake near the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, resulting in the deaths of at least five people, including three children. In 1991, the Salem Express, an Egyptian ferry travelling from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, sank, claiming the lives of as many as 471 people, primarily Muslim pilgrims.

Egypt’s Red Sea resorts are known for their stunning beach destinations, attracting European holidaymakers and divers eager to explore the coral reefs and diverse marine life. The country has made significant efforts to boost its tourism industry, which has been affected by years of political instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic impact of the war in Ukraine. Employing two million people and contributing over 10% to Egypt’s GDP, the tourism sector is vital to the nation’s economy.

In a separate incident on Thursday, a Russian tourist was killed by a shark in the waters off the Egyptian Red Sea city of Hurghada.