Six foreigners were killed on Thursday when a tourist submarine sank off Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, the local governor’s office told Reuters, without confirming the nationalities of the victims.

The Russian consulate in Hurghada said the submarine, named “SINDBAD,” had 45 Russian tourists on board, in addition to crew members. It said four people had died, but did not specify if they were Russian.

“Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada,” the consulate said, adding 
that the fate of several tourists was still being clarified.

Two municipal officials told the Associated Press that nine others had been injured.

Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the Red Sea Governorate. 

It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink.

The Red Sea, renowned for its coral reefs and marine life, is a major hub for Egypt’s crucial tourism industry, in which Russian tourists play an increasingly large part. But many tourist companies have stopped or limited travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.

In November, four people drowned and 33 were rescued when a tourist diving boat was struck by high waves and sank 
within minutes. Another boat sank in June after storm damage, the Environment Ministry said at the time, although no 
casualties were reported.

A United Nations report ranked Egypt first in Africa for tourism revenues in 2024 at $14.1 billion US, more than twice what it earns in Suez Canal revenues, highlighting tourism’s vital role in sustaining the hard-pressed economy.