A tourist boat caught fire in the Red Sea on Sunday, June 11, 2023. The boat was carrying 29 people, including 13 Egyptians, 13 Ukrainians, and three British nationals. One person was killed in the fire and three British passengers are still missing.
The fire broke out on the boat, which was named Hurricane, while it was about 25 kilometers (16 miles) north of the southern Red Sea resort town of Marsa Alam. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Egyptian authorities believe it was caused by an electrical short circuit.
The 12 crew members and 12 British tourists who were rescued were taken to a hospital in Marsa Alam for treatment. The three British passengers who are still missing are believed to have been on the lower deck of the boat when the fire broke out.
The British Foreign Office has said it is in contact with the Egyptian authorities and is “supporting the British nationals involved.”
This is the second major boat accident in Egypt in recent months. In February, a boat carrying tourists capsized on the Nile River, killing 19 people.