File photo. A section of the Red Sea coastline. Photo: 123RF
Egyptian authorities rescued 28 people after a tourist boat sank off its Red Sea coast, the Red Sea Governorate said in a statement on Monday, as a search continued for the 17 remaining passengers and crew.
The boat, Sea Story, was carrying 45 people, including 31 tourists of varying nationalities and 14 crew, on a multi-day diving trip when it went down near the coastal town of Marsa Alam, according to a separate statement by the governorate.
Egyptian armed forces frigates and aircraft swept the area to try to locate the missing, but by 5pm (1500 GMT) the search had been paused for the night, a government source said.
The governorate said a distress call was received at 5.30am and that the boat had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday, with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on 29 November.
Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi did not give information on the nationalities of the tourists, but Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski told state news agency PAP that two people on board may have Polish citizenship.
The Red Sea is a popular diving destination renowned for its coral reefs and marine life and is important for Egypt's vital tourism industry.
Hanafi said that the boat likely sank near the Sataya Reef, without giving further information.
The Egyptian Red Sea Ports Authority said in a statement it had closed maritime traffic in the area on Sunday noon when the wind speed reached 34 knots and wave height reached 3-4 metres.
This is the second boat to sink in the same area this year. In June, a boat sank after it suffered severe damage from strong waves, the Environment Ministry said at the time. No casualties were reported.
-Reuters
