Egypt Tourist Submarine Sinks: Updates on the Situation

Tragedy struck when a tourist submarine sank off the Egyptian coast on Thursday, March 27, 2025. According to the Russian embassy and Egyptian state-run media, the sub was in the middle of a scheduled excursion exploring the coral reef when it went down in the Red Sea, killing several people on board.

This wasn’t the first time that a tourist ship experienced a problem. In November 2024, four people reportedly drowned after an Egyptian tourist diving boat was hit by huge waves, and it went down in minutes. Earlier that year, a separate boat sank in June from storm damage.

Below, get updates about the developing situation.

At least six foreigners were killed 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 https://t.co/R9nubXT2Ah pic.twitter.com/OSOxnhO0xS

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 27, 2025

How Did the Tourist Submarine Sink?

At around 10:00 a.m. local time on March 27, the Sindbad tourist submarine “crashed at a distance of 1 km from the shore” from the Egyptian resort city Hurghada, the Russian embassy said, according to CNN.

Details about the apparent crash are still unclear while authorities investigate the incident. The sub’s operator has an experienced “expert team” and its submarines were “engineered in Finland to sustain underwater pressure up to 75m, ensuring safety and reliability,” per CNN.

One survivor from the submarine accident spoke with Russian media, according to BBC, and claimed that once the passengers took their seats, water began “pouring in” as two hatches were open. The individual added that the submarine felt like it had fallen off “whatever it was holding on to.”

It’s unclear what led to the crash, but Egyptian authorities are reportedly investigating the matter to determine the cause.

How Many Passengers Were on the Submarine?

According to multiple outlets, such as Reuters and CNN, there were 45 tourists on board the submarine from different nationalities, including Russian, Swedish, Indian and Norwegian. Thirty-nine people were rescued, and CNN reported that there were at least 21 people in the hospital.

Reuters reported that there was a total of 50 people on the submarine: 45 tourists and five Egyptian crew members.

How Many Died in the Submarine Sinking?

At least six people were killed in the submarine sinking on March 27, according to the Russian embassy and Egyptian media. The deceased victims are all Russian, multiple outlets have reported, and two of them were reportedly children. The ages of the late passengers are still unclear.