Dozens of tourists are missing after a boat sank off the Egyptian coast.
The vessel, named Sea Story, reportedly went down near Shaab Satayah, a coral reef renowned for diving excursions, off the tourist resort of Marsa Alam this morning.
A crew member sent a distress signal at 5:30 a.m. before losing contact and dropping off the radar, as reported by local media.
The boat was on a diving trip from the port of Ghalib in Marsa Alam, scheduled to arrive at Hurghada Marina on November 29.
It was carrying 31 tourists from various countries and 14 crew members.
Red Sea governor Amr Hanafy said some tourists were rescued in the Ghadeer area of Wai El Gemal, but has not revealed how many others are still missing.
Several survivors have been flown back to shore for medical attention.
The search operation, involving the Egyptian Navy, is still underway, with a helicopter deployed to search the area.
The challenging local weather conditions and the expansive search area have made the search more difficult.
Marine Traffic, a ship tracking website, reported the last known location of the Sea Story as being off Hurghada.
The Sea Story is a 144-foot pleasure craft, built in 2022, capable of carrying up to 32 passengers.
