Sixteen missing after tourist boat sinks off Egypt's Red Sea coast
Sixteen people including 12 foreign nationals are missing after a tourist boat sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast, the local government said on Monday.
The Sea Story was carrying 44 including 31 tourists and 13 crew on a multi-day diving trip when it went down near the town of Marsa Alam, the Red Sea Governorate said in a statement, revising an earlier report of 14 Egyptian crew aboard.
Twenty-eight people were rescued and had only minor injuries such as bruises and scrapes with none requiring hospitalisation, it said.
Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said that preliminary reports suggested a sudden large wave struck the boat, capsizing it within 5-7 minutes.
"Some passengers were in their cabins, which is why they were unable to escape," he added in the statement.
The governorate said a distress call was received at 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) from the boat, which had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on Nov. 29.