Three missing British tourists who were on a diving boat that caught fire off the coast of Egypt and went down in the Red Sea have died.
A spokeswoman for Scuba Travel confirmed the fatalities, stating that the company’s passengers “perished” when the Hurricane, a medium-sized scuba diving boat, caught fire on Sunday off the resort town of Marsa Alam.
A spokesman for Scuba Travel said, in a statement to newsmen “It is with great regret that we, as tour operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests, perished in the tragic incident.
“Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time.”
The three passengers were among 15 qualified diving enthusiasts who were on a week’s stay on board the “Hurricane” dive boat when the fire broke out at around 8:30am local time.
The statement added: “At the time the fire broke out, 12 divers were participating in a briefing on board, while those missing had apparently decided not to dive that morning.”
A nearby craft was used to evacuate 12 divers and the 14 crew members also had to abandon ship after trying to reach the missing guests, according to Scuba Travel.
Egyptian authorities had earlier said that following an initial examination of the vessel it was found that “an electrical short circuit in the boat’s engine room sparked the blaze”.
The remaining three British tourists, whose identities were kept secret, were sought after by a search party.
The Red Sea resorts of Egypt are well-liked by tourists from Europe and host some of the nation’s most well-known beach locations.
With convenient access to coral reefs from coastlines and dive locations that offer a variety of marine life, it has solidified its status as a dive destination.