The teen girl is reported to have lost both her parents after a tourist submarine suddenly sank off the coast of Egypt, leaving six people dead and more injured
A 13-year-old girl is among three children to have been left orphaned by a horror submarine tragedy in Egypt. At least six people have been killed and another 21 left injured after the tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, Egypt today.
The submarine, named Sindbad, was sailing off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area with 45 people on board when it suddenly ran into difficulty, prompting a huge emergency rescue operation. It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink, though reports in Russian media said the vessel is believed to hit a coral reef and suffered “depressurisation”. The vessel, which has been operating along the coast for several years, was on a tour of underwater coral reefs at the time.
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READ MORE: Egypt Sindbad submarine accident latest: Passengers onboard tragic vessel pictured
Reports this afternoon said that there were 45 Russian citizens on board, and 38 were rescued. At least two child had died, and another three have been orphaned by the disaster. One 13-year-old girl in hospital lost both her parents, it was reported.
Anaesthetist Ravil Valiullin, 40, and his wife Kristina, 39, a children’s doctor, were killed on the vessel. Their daughters – aged ten and 15 – were also on board, and survived.
They remained in hospital this afternoon. Ravel was reportedly an avid Liverpool FC supporter, and the parents worked at the Urussu Central Regional Hospital in Tatarstan, Russia.
Tourists who went on the same submarine several days ago reported that it was in a “terrible condition”. One passenger told Shot media: “The glass was broken and scuffed, and visibility was 50/50. It was difficult to see the fish and the diving show.” There were also complaints about “old and damaged life jackets”.
Commenting on apparent lapses in safety precautions before the incident today, they said: “Before the excursion, the guides did not conduct any instructions and did not tell what to do in case of an emergency. So after hitting a reef at depth, people simply did not know what to do and how to swim out. Water flooded the cabin and people panicked.”
There were claims the company responsible for the submarine did not keep a record of the names of their passengers, and the source added: “They simply took money from tourists and sent them underwater without any minimal preparation. Therefore, local authorities still cannot establish the identities of everyone who was on board.”
The vessel, which was operated by a Hurghada-based company called Sindbad Submarines, has 44 passenger seats, two pilot seats, and a round viewing window for each passenger, according to the company website. Promotional material describes the tour as “an unforgettable journey” where guests can “experience the beauty of the Red Sea’s underwater world without getting wet”
In November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, Egyptian officials said. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued.
