A search is underway for three British tourists who went missing on Sunday. The tourists have not been identified as yet.
Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate gave a short statement saying that 15 English passengers, 10 members of the crew and two tour guides had escaped the blaze when the motor yacht they were on caught fire, and that a search was ongoing for the missing three. Following an Initial examination of the vessel by the Egyptian authorities, reports indicated that an electrical fault in the engine room sparked a blaze on the boat they were on off Egypt’s Red Sea Coast. 12 British tourists and 12 crew members were rescued from a medium sized scuba diving boat that went up in flames on Sunday, close to coastal town Marsa Alam.
An eyewitness video that is circulating on media and online showed a flames and smoke rising from a white motor yacht named Hurricane which was on a 6 day cruise. The motor yacht was due back on Sunday and passengers could be seen jumping off into life boats below. The blaze broke out when it was about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north off the resort town Marsa Alam.
Kuwaiti tourist Abdulrahman Alsarheed told Reuters that the boat was engulfed in flames in a matter of minutes. He said that there was light smoke, and the smoke became white and heavy in one or two minutes, and then turned black. He also said that the fire broke out so fast since it was windy that morning. He said that the crew of his boat did all that they could for the survivors who were given water, they put bandages on some of them who had light wounds and dropped them off in Marsa Shagra. A search party has been launched in the hope of finding the tourists who are not yet accounted for.
The Red Sea resorts in Egypt are a major tourist destination and are some of the most renowned diving destinations in the country. With easy access to coral reefs from dive sites that offer diverse marine life, it is popular with European holiday makers.
Britain’s Foreign Office stated that it was in contact with the Egyptian authorities, supporting the British nationals involved.
