Three British tourists missing after Egyptian boat catches fire off Red Sea

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Three British tourists missing after Egyptian boat catches fire off Red Sea

An Egyptian scuba diving boat caught fire off the Red Sea coastline on Sunday which has led to the missing of three British tourists on board.

Egypt’s Red Sea Governate said 12 crew members and 12 British tourists were rescued when the boat went up in flames.

The Egyptian authorities said the incident happened off the southern Red Sea resort town of Marsa Alam.

A search party was instituted to find the remaining three British tourists whose identities were not revealed, CBS said.

Following an initial examination of the vessel, Egyptian authorities said, “an electrical short circuit in the boat’s engine room sparked the blaze.”

Britain’s Foreign Office said that it was in contact with the Egyptian authorities and is “supporting the British nationals involved.”

According to CBS, fatal boat mishaps are relatively uncommon in Egypt.

In 2021 a boat capsized in a lake near Egypt’s Mediterranean city of Alexandria, leaving at least five people dead, including three children.

In 1991, the Egyptian ferry, Salem Express — sailing from Saudi Arabia to Egypt — sank killing as many as 471 people, mostly Muslim pilgrims.

Egypt’s Red Sea resorts harbour some of the country’s most renowned beach destinations and are popular with European holiday goers.

It has cemented its reputation as a dive destination with easy access to coral reefs from shores and dive sites offering diverse marine life.

In recent years, Egypt has gone to great lengths to bolster its tourism industry, hurt by years of political instability, COVID-19 and the negative economic effect of the war in Ukraine.