At least six people have died after a tourist submarine crashed in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt early Thursday.
The Egyptian governorate office said in a statement that all of those killed when the submarine sank were foreign nationals, according to Reuters.
While the governorate did not confirm the submarine’s details, five Russians were among those killed aboard the Sindbad submersible when it crashed in the Red Sea less than a mile off the coast of the Egyptian city of Hurghada, according to an Egyptian ambulance source who spoke to RIA news agency.
Russia's embassy in Cairo told NBC News in a statement earlier Thursday that four of those killed aboard the Sindbad were Russians.
They were among 45 tourists aboard the vessel, which has the same name as the hotel that owns it, said the Russian statement, which did not provide further details on the crash or what the Sindbad crashed into.
“Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada,” the embassy said, adding that “their health condition is not a concern.”
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Two municipal officials not authorized to speak to the media told The Associated Press that nine other people were injured in the incident.
The Consulate General in Hurghada confirmed that 38 people had been rescued, with 14 people taken to hospital and 24 taken back to their accommodation, according to RIA news agency.
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The fate of eight others is still unknown, Russian Consular General Viktor Voropaev told the state news agency TASS. “Our employees are currently on the pier and monitoring the situation,” he added.
The tour operator, Sindbad Submarines, owns two of the world's 14 recreational submarines, according to its website.
In November last year, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, Egyptian officials said at the time. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued.
Tourism is an important sector of the country's economy but many tourist companies have stopped or limited traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
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