A ship with tourists sank near the coastal town of Marsa Alam in Egypt. A rescue operation is ongoing. "We received information that among the tourists on the boat, there may have been two people with Polish citizenship," Paweł Wroński, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told TVN24 on Monday (November 25).
Egyptian authorities rescued 16 people after a tourist boat sank off its Red Sea coast, three security sources told Reuters on Monday, as search operations continued for the remaining passengers and crew members.
The boat, Sea Story, was carrying 45 people, including 31 tourists of varying nationalities and 14 crew, on a multi-day diving trip when it went down near the coastal town of Marsa Alam, according to a statement by the Red Sea Governorate.
"We received information that two people with Polish citizenship may have been among the tourists on the boat," spokesperson for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paweł Wroński told TVN24. He mentioned that these details would be verified.
Wroński spoke about 14 people being rescued
Governor Amr Hanafi said some survivors were rescued using a helicopter and have been taken to medical care. Efforts to locate more survivors were ongoing in coordination with the Egyptian navy and army.
The governorate said a distress call was received at 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) and that the boat had departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday, with plans to return to Hurghada Marina on Nov. 29.
The Red Sea is a popular diving destination renowned for its coral reefs and marine life, key to Egypt's vital tourism industry.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24, PAP, Reuters