Egypt Submarine Tragedy: Initial Report Reveals What Went Wrong in the Red Sea

An underwater tour off Egypt's Red Sea coast took a deadly turn, leaving local authorities and eyewitnesses working to piece together what went wrong.

A tourist submarine dive ended in tragedy near Hurghada on March 27, 2025, killing six people and injuring several others. According to Russian news outlet Mash, the incident occurred when a bathyscaphe carrying 45 tourists lost control and crashed into a reef, causing the vessel to capsize and depressurize.

Most of those who died were Russian tourists staying at the Serry Beach Resort. The group had booked the excursion through tour operator Biblio Globus, with plans to transfer from the hotel to the pier and descend to a depth of 22 meters.

According to the Daily Mail, survivor Elena Boldareva claimed the vessel began its descent before its hatches were fully closed. As it took on water, tourists were forced to scramble out on their own.

Boldareva said she and her husband managed to swim out of the Sindbad tourist submersible as it sank at the landing pontoon. "Some managed to swim out, some didn't," she added.

Her daughter and mother were among the 39 people rescued and taken to the hospital. At least one child remains in serious condition. She said passengers tried to save themselves as best they could, while tourists on nearby boats at the Sindbad Club Hotel marina rushed to pull people from the water.

Amid ongoing reports, the Russian Embassy and the Red Sea governor have addressed the submarine incident.

According to the BBC's live updates, the maritime incident unfolded early Thursday, off the coast of Hurghada, a popular Egyptian resort city along the Red Sea, where a tourist submarine reportedly sank with approximately 40 people on board.

In a report released at 12:28 p.m. local time, the outlet confirmed that at least six people are feared dead.

Nine others were reported injured, with four individuals listed in critical condition and rushed to nearby medical facilities. Of the 40 tourist passengers believed to be on board, 29 were able to be rescued.

Just two minutes later (at 12:30 p.m.), the BBC's Cairo-based team identified the vessel as Sindbad, a long-operating tour submarine known for its underwater excursions. The outlet also assured readers that more updates would follow.

According to the submarine company's website, Sindbad Submarines is dedicated to creating lasting memories through immersive aquatic adventures.

Known for blending excitement with exploration, the company offers unique experiences both below and above the water's surface. Focused on delivering more than just entertainment, Sindbad Submarines aims to provide enriching encounters that leave a lasting impression.

By mid-afternoon, further updates from the BBC offered a clearer picture of the scene unfolding in Hurghada. At 3:11 p.m., new images showed police presence outside the Egyptian Hospital, where those injured in the sinking had been taken.

While earlier reports confirmed nine injuries — four of them critical — the somber visuals of law enforcement stationed at the facility underscored the severity of the situation and the urgency still gripping the area.

Shortly after, at 3:31 p.m., the BBC addressed potential speculation surrounding the weather's role in the disaster. Meteorological data from a nearby site in Hurghada indicated that wind speeds were light, measured at just 5 mph, and there were no signs of low cloud coverage or turbulent conditions.

With wave heights estimated at a mere 0.2 meters, the sea was reportedly calm at the time of the incident — casting further mystery over what may have caused the submarine to suddenly go under.

Additional images released at 3:50 p.m. revealed a fleet of ambulances stationed at the harbor, a visual testament to the swift and large-scale emergency response.

In one of the photographs, a second Sindbad submarine was seen docked nearby, though it was confirmed that this vessel had no involvement in the morning's tragedy.

A tourist staying at the nearby Sindbad Club shared their firsthand account with the BBC, divulging, "We heard the ambulance sirens which lasted a long time and there are still at least three ambulances at the harbour [sic]."

In the hours following the incident, local media also began to weigh in. According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, an Egyptian news outlet, all relevant agencies have been actively monitoring the situation since the tragedy occurred.

The report, originally written in Arabic and loosely translated into English, noted that multiple ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene, underscoring the scale of the emergency response.

However, the outlet emphasized that the causes and circumstances of the accident have not yet been revealed, further deepening the uncertainty surrounding what led to the sudden sinking of the tourist submarine.

Further insight into the aftermath of the sinking has emerged through visual documentation shared by Al-Masry Al-Youm on Instagram. The Egyptian news outlet posted a short video clip that captured the calm yet haunting waters off Hurghada, where various vessels could be seen stationed in the vicinity of the incident.

The footage shows several boats positioned near the shoreline, likely part of the ongoing emergency response or affiliated with the operation of the Sindbad submarine tour.

By late afternoon, conflicting reports began to emerge surrounding the nationalities and number of victims. At 4:10 p.m., the BBC relayed a statement from Viktor Voropaev, Russia's consul general in Hurghada, who confirmed to state-run news agency Tass that at least five Russian nationals had died in the submarine tragedy — among them, two children.

This update slightly diverged from earlier figures shared by the Russian Embassy in Cairo, which had initially reported four fatalities, noting that all passengers aboard the vessel were Russian citizens.

In a formal statement, the Russian Embassy in Cairo addressed the unfolding crisis, reiterating the tragic occurrence of the incident and providing additional context surrounding the victims and ongoing response.

In their message, which is written in Russian, the embassy officials confirmed that many of the Russian nationals on the submarine were clients of the Biblio Globus travel company. They noted that diplomats from the Russian Consulate General had arrived at the Sindbad hotel pier to assist with the situation directly.

While assuring that most of those rescued were in stable condition and receiving appropriate care, the embassy acknowledged that the status of several individuals was still being verified. Additionally, they said that there were a total of 45 tourists, contradicting a previous account of 40.

As of the most recent update, Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafy has confirmed that six tourists lost their lives in the incident, while 39 others were successfully rescued.

In a statement shared via Facebook, Hanafy assured the public that no individuals remain unaccounted for — a detail that brings a measure of closure to a day marked by uncertainty. He added that an official investigation is now underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.

The governor also commended the swift actions of local rescue teams and emphasized that coordination efforts will continue with the involved embassies and agencies as the situation develops.