Three missing after dive boat catches fire in Red Sea

Authorities in Egypt said that three people have gone missing after a dive cruise vessel caught fire in the Red Sea on Sunday, June 11.

The dive boat Hurricane, operated by Sharm El-Sheikh-based Tornado Marine Fleet, had departed the resort city of Marsa Alam on Tuesday, June 6, and was scheduled to return six days later.

Initial reports said the blaze ignited in the vessel’s engine room due to an electrical short at around 06:30 local time on Sunday.

Twenty-six passengers and crew were safely evacuated by tender onto another dive boat that was in the vicinity. However, three passengers, all identified as British nationals, remain unaccounted for.

A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said the agency is coordinating with Egyptian authorities and supporting the 12 British nationals among the 26 survivors.

Egyptian maritime authorities are continuing to search through the surrounding waters for any sign of the missing passengers.