Six Russian Tourists Killed, 39 Rescued In Red Sea Submarine Crash Off The Coast Of Egypt

At least six tourists were killed on Thursday morning in a Red Sea recreational tourism reef exploration submarine, which crashed less than a mile off the coast of Hurghada, Egypt. The incident occurred at 10AM local time. Extensive rescue efforts were executed to retrieve the remaining passengers and crew from the vessel designed to carry 44 passengers and two pilots. 

The Russian embassy in Egypt indicates that the majority of the passengers onboard were vacationing to the Red Sea from Russia, traveling as a group with international tour company Biblio Globus. Russian media reports as many as nine fatalities, though Egyptian authorities have only confirmed six. Twenty-one additional submarine occupants were transported to Royal Hospital Hurghada's emergency department, including seven children.  

The undersea trip was intended to last just 40 minutes, and — unlike the ill-fated Titan sub — the submarine was equipped with a series of large viewing windows to see the beauty of the underwater world. Hurghada is a popular beach vacation town in Egypt, and tourism is among Egypt's biggest economic drivers. The submarine tour company says it is "well-established in exploring the region's dramatic seabed."

Sindbad Submarines, based out of the Sindbad hotel in Hurghada, continues by saying it has an expert team with years of experience, and employs two submarines in its tourism fleet. These subs are "engineered in Finland to sustain underwater pressure up to 75m, ensuring safety and reliability." Despite the safety risks and the Titan incident, submarine tourism continues to attract investment.

Unconfirmed reports claim that the vessel may have collided with a reef and "depressurized" at a depth of 65 feet below the surface. The Daily Mail reports that 21 ambulances were dispatched to the scene to transport the injured.