Egyptian officials accused of covering up wrongdoing following deadly dive boat capsize in Red Sea

Some of the survivors of an incident wherein a dive tour boat capsized in the Red Sea off Egypt late last year have said that they had been pressured to sign waivers absolving the operator of the vessel of any wrongdoing.

Eleven of the 35 survivors of the November 25, 2024 capsizing of the dive tour boat Sea Story recently told the BBC that there had been attempts by representatives of the vessel's operating company to have them sign waivers stating that the company is not at fault for the mishap.

The survivors were also reportedly told they needed to sign official witness statements, which they could not understand as these were written in Arabic. They also said local authorities have been working to cover up the incident by stating that it was caused by a huge wave.

The incident involving Sea Story occurred when the vessel was sailing on a multi-day diving trip out of the resort town of Porto Ghalib near Marsa Alam with two crewmembers and 44 passengers, mostly foreign nationals.

The extensive search and rescue (SAR) effort led to the recovery of four bodies from the surrounding waters. The deceased also included two British nationals.

Another seven people are still missing. Local authorities believe some of these individuals had become trapped in their cabins as the vessel slipped beneath the surface.

Some survivors who were hospitalised following the incident told the BBC that they were questioned by individuals who had presented themselves as judges despite not having proven their credentials or their affiliation.

One Norwegian passenger said he was made to sign the last page of a four-page document. However, because the document was written in Arabic, he was unsure about its content and its purpose, as those who had presented him with the document "could have written anything."