CAIRO, Nov. 26 – Rescue teams recovered four bodies on Tuesday after a tourist boat capsized near Egypt’s Red Sea coast, with seven people still missing, the Red Sea Governorate said.
The boat, Sea Story, sank on Monday near Sataya Reef while carrying 31 tourists and 13 crew members on a diving trip. High waves caused the vessel to overturn within minutes.
Governor Amr Hanafi confirmed that five more survivors were found on Tuesday, including two Belgian tourists, a Swiss, a Finn, and an Egyptian. This brought the total number of survivors to 33.
On Monday, 28 people were rescued with minor injuries. They are now staying at a hotel in Marsa Alam, where authorities are working with embassies to provide support and issue necessary documents.
The Sea Story was 34 meters long and owned by an Egyptian national. It had passed a safety inspection in March and was certified for a year by the Maritime Safety Authority. Officials said the boat sank during rough weather, with waves reaching up to 4 meters (13 feet) and wind speeds of 34 knots reported in the area on Sunday.
This is the second boat to sink in the region this year. Another vessel sustained severe damage from strong waves in June but reported no casualties.
