Red Sea: 4 bodies recovered from capsized tourist boat

Rescue teams are still searching for 13 missing people after the "Sea Story" capsized off Egypt's Red Sea coast with 44 people on board.

Four bodies have been recovered from a tourist boat which capsized in stormy seas off Egypt's Red Sea coast, according to a local governor.

Rescue teams were still searching for 13 missing people on Tuesday, one day after the sinking.

Red Sea provincial governor Amr Hanafi wrote on social media that the vessel, the multi-level "Sea Story," capsized after being struck by large wave near the Sataya Reef and sunk within seven minutes.

On board were 31 tourists and 13 crew members, of whom 28 were rescued by another tourist vessel with minor injuries.

"All of the rescued passengers are doing well," Hanafi said, adding that none had required hospital treatment.

Hanafi had previously said that four Germans and two Swiss people were on board, as well as around 20 holidaymakers from other European countries.

The German Foreign Office confirmed that German citizens were among the missing passengers.

The Egyptian Red Sea Ports Authority had reported wave heights of 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) and wind speeds of 34 knots in the area over the weekend, leading to the closure of maritime traffic.

Local Governor Hanafi said the 34-meter-long boat had received a one-year safety certificate from the Maritime Safety Authority after passing its last safety inspection in March 2024, with no technical issues reported.

mf/nm (dpa, Reuters)