By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
CAIRO (Worthy News) – Egyptian authorities confirmed Monday that at least 16 people are missing, including foreigners, and 28 have been rescued after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea.
The boat Sea Story was carrying 44 people, including 31 tourists of varying nationalities and 13 crew on a multi-day diving trip, sank Monday near the town of Marsa Alam, the Red Sea Governorate said.
Authorities did not indicate the possible cause of the incident and added that people onboard suggested that a wave hit the boat and caused it to capsize.
Weather forecasters had reportedly warned against marine activities for Sunday and Monday.
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.
DISTRESS CALL
The governorate said the boat’s distress call was received at 5:30 a.m. local time. It had departed Sunday from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam, a tourist town in the south-eastern located on the western shore of the Red Sea.
Worthy News established that the crew had planned to return to Hurghada Marina, the coastal capital of the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt, on November 29.
It was unclear why the boat had left despite apparently meteorological warnings, which added to concerns about safety precautions surrounding marine activities in Egypt.
In 2023, three British tourists went missing, and 12 were rescued after a motor boat caught fire off Marsa Alam.
The year 2016 saw one of the worst sea disasters in Egypt when a boat carrying about 600 migrants sank in the Mediterranean, killing at least 170 people. At that time, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said, “Egyptians must join hands with the government” to prevent a repeat of such a tragedy.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Iran threatened Friday to launch a regional war and suggested it could build an atomic bomb if its nuclear sites are attacked by Israel or the Jewish nation’s allies, such as the United States.
President Donald J. Trump is expanding trade tariffs on China after announcing similar measures for Canada and Mexico.
Tensions remained high Friday in Pakistan’s Punjab Province after local police detained a mentally challenged Christian on charges of blasphemy against Islam, Christians told Worthy News.
Sweden says it has detained five people over the killing of an Iraqi refugee who sparked outrage among Muslims by burning the Koran in protest in Sweden in 2023.
President Donald Trump confirmed that he will impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting Saturday, citing large trade deficits and the flow of fentanyl as key reasons. He also mentioned that he is still considering whether to include oil from these countries in the tariffs.
President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to combat antisemitism, instructing the Department of Justice to take “immediate action” to deport foreign national college students and resident aliens involved in pro-Hamas protests following the terrorist group’s massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of over 250 hostages.
A new study shows there has been a surge in attacks on Christians in Nicaragua over the last two years, with Nicaraguan dictator President Daniel Ortega now specifically targeting evangelical bodies as well as Catholic communities, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.