Cruise ship catches fire off Red Sea, 3 British divers missing

Monday, June 12, 2023 | 09:47:04

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Three British tourists are missing and 12 have been rescued after a cruise ship caught fire off Egypt's Red Sea coast.

Smoke rises from a burning yacht in Marsa Alam, Egypt, June 11.

Twelve crew and 12 British tourists were rescued when a medium-sized diving boat, named Hurricane, caught fire off the southern Red Sea resort town of Marsa Alam. A rescue team is searching for three missing British tourists.

Initial statements said the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit on the yacht.

Rescuers said they saw smoke rising from the yacht, about 9km (5.6 miles) off the beach. Survivors were taken to safety at a nearby resort.

At the time of the accident, the yacht was on a trip from June 6 to an area just north of Marsa Alam.

The British Foreign Office said it had contacted local authorities about the incident and was providing support to the citizens involved.

The most serious shipping accident in Egypt was in 1991 when a ferry named Salem Express, traveling from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, sank, killing 471 people, mostly Muslim pilgrims.

Egypt’s Red Sea resorts are popular with European tourists. It is also famous for its diving, with coral reefs easily accessible from the shore and dive sites offering a wide variety of marine life.

According to vtv.vn

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