Following the boat accident off the coast of Marsa Alam in Egypt, the search for missing persons continues the second day after the tragedy. Authorities said another body and five survivors were pulled from the water. Seven people are still missing, and of the 44 people on board, 33 have been rescued.
After the tourist boat sank early Monday morning, a large number of search teams were deployed to the Red Sea – a helicopter and an Egyptian army frigate also searched for survivors.
Three Germans are still missing
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Germany reported that six Germans were among the holidaymakers. Three of them were rescued. The three others still missing are people living in Bavaria, including a couple from Munich (both 41) and a 32-year-old man, as the “FAZ” reported.
Photos of the ill-fated ship and the rescue operation:
There is little information so far about the identities of the four bodies that have already been recovered. The last survivor rescued from the floods is said to be a Finn. There were many Europeans on the ill-fated boat – they came from Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Poland and Slovakia. Tourists from China and the US were also on board.
Weather conditions “unstable”
The now sunken ship Sea Story was taking holidaymakers on a five-day diving trip when the crew made a distress call on Monday morning. According to eyewitness accounts, the four-story motor yacht was likely hit by today’s waves. The vehicle capsized and sank during the floods, and many passengers were unable to escape from their cabins in time. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were described by local media as “unstable”.
An inspection in the spring revealed no defects in the two-year-old ship, said the region’s governor, Amr Hanafi. The submarine also had all the necessary approvals.
Governor: ‘Rescued passengers are doing well’
The survivors are now housed in a hotel in Marsa Alam and some have since been taken to hospital for treatment. “All the rescued passengers are doing well,” Hanafi said. In collaboration with the embassies of the survivors’ countries of origin, work is now underway to obtain all documents for the journey home.
Safety standards in the Red Sea are often inadequate
Experts stressed that many ships in the Red Sea do not meet the most rudimentary safety standards – so far there is not even an internationally recognized safety standard for smaller boats, according to the magazine “Stern”. Inspections are often carried out carelessly and corruption is also a problem.
German died when another ship sank
In the spring, a ship belonging to the operator of the Sea Story had already sunk – this incident also ended fatally. The tourist boat Sea Legend sank off the coast of Egypt with 17 divers on board. According to “Stern” a German was killed. The magazine reports that efforts were made to cover up the accident shortly after the tragedy.
Source: Krone
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