Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi revealed new details about the sinking of the tourist ship “Sea Story” in Marsa Alam in the Red Sea Governorate, including the efforts being done to retrieve the remaining 16 people that are missing.
During a Monday evening phone interview with TV host Amr Adib on the “al-Hekaya” (The Story) show on MBC Masr, Hanafi explained that the tourist boat hit a strong wave at dawn, after a sudden change in the weather.
He continued that the boat flipped on its right side and then its left side, and began to sink within five to seven minutes.
The governor added that the boat was equipped with all safety measures and was subject to inspection in March and its license is valid for a year and there were no problems with it.
He added that the concerned authorities moved quickly after reporting the sinking of the boat, in coordination with the Egyptian Navy, which moved immediately as search and rescue efforts for the missing 16 people continue.
Hanafi explained that these tourists have been coming to dive in the area for four years, and most of them are professionals, and they know the area well.
He added that most of them came for a four-day visit at sea.
The Red Sea Governor explained that embassies and consulates to which the tourists belong have been contacted, hoping to reach survivors in the coming hours.
A statement from the Red Sea Governorate confirmed that the control center received an emergency call at 5:30 AM from the boat, which was on a diving trip from Port Ghalib Marina in Marsa Alam and scheduled to return to the Hurghada Marina on November 29.
The boat was carrying 31 tourists of various nationalities with a crew of 14. Initial reports indicate that the boat capsized near Satayah Reef north of Marsa Alam.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
