Egypt Sindbad submarine RECAP: First pictures of tragic sub emerge after six die

Miracle survivors of the doomed Sindbad submarine have revealed the horrifying moment they realised something was wrong.

At least six tourists have died and 39 have been rescued after the tourist submarine sank off the coast of Egypt. The tragic incident unfolded in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, when the vessel suddenly ran into difficulty while sailing off from one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area.

While authorities are currently investigating the exact cause of the accident, disturbing details are coming to light. Elena Boldareva, who survived the terrifying sinking, has bravely spoken about the incident and has described the moment that tragedy struck.

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The Sindbad submarine was a "far cry" away from the doomed Titan submerisble that exploded while on a visit to the Titanic in June 2023.

The OceanGate sub was carrying five people when it suffered a "catastrophic implosion" and killed everyone onboard. Debris from the submersible was found just days later.

Questions were raied over the safety of the Titan, which was not approved by any safety authorities and had previously ignored warnings over its flawed design.

OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman, both British citizens; and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who had visited the wreck dozens of times, all tragically died.

Meanwhile, "Sindbad" had a "very good safety record" and had been operating for several years successfully, experts said.

A hospitalised tourist was visited by Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi following the submarine accident.

A handout picture provided by the Red Sea Governorate Media office shows the governor talking to the man, along with medics who were treating him for his injuries.

Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi is pictured visiting a hospitalised man, after a submarine carrying dozens of passengers sank the resort town of Hurghada on Egypt's Red Sea coast.

Hanafi said "39 foreign tourists had been rescued and six others killed, with no one missing," according to a statement shared by his office.

Sindbad, the submarine, offers 44 passengers the chance to visit the Red Sea underwater for around 40 minutes.

According to its website, the vessel cruises around 65-80ft underwater with panoramic windows on the bottom, which gives tourists an immersive view of the marine life. An adult ticket costs £53, while a child's ticket costs £25.

The website claims: “There are only 14 real recreational submarines in the world, and two are right here. A new adventure awaits you 25 metres below the sea.

“Join us for an unforgettable journey aboard the Sindbad Submarines, where you will explore 500 metres of coral reef and its marine inhabitants. Enjoy the breath-taking view in the air-conditioned comfort and safety of our submarine.”

Sindbad submarines has cancelled all upcoming trips following the Red Sea tragedy.

It comes as investigators try and work out what caused the tourist submarine to sink off the coast of Hurghada. Unconfirmed reports said the submarine hit a reef at 20 metres and lost pressure.

Six Russians died and 39 tourists were rescued. Nobody is missing, the local governor said.

A survior has told Russian media that water started "pouring in" in the hatches as soon as the tourists boarded the submarine.

Ekaterina, whose daughter and mother are in hospital following the incident, said two hatches were open and it appeared the submarine had fallen off "whatever it was holding on to." Tourists are transported to the sub which is docked at a floating platform.

The first image of the sunken vessel in the Red Sea has been released.

The recreational submarine was taking 45 tourists on an underwater cruise of coral reefs in the Red Sea when it sank off the Egyptian resort town of Hurghada on Thursday, leaving six Russians dead.

The first images of the rescue site have emerged. Footage posted by the governor’s office showed Hanafy meeting survivors at the hospital, including two Egyptian crewmembers. One Russian tourist had a small bandage on his head.

The vessel was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crewmembers when it sank, Red Sea governor Hanafi said in a statement, adding that rescue teams were quickly sent.

He said all six dead were Russians. No one was still missing from the vessel, he said.

Hurghada is a major destination for divers, snorkelers and other tourists drawn by the Red Sea’s extensive coral reefs.

A photo released by the Red Sea Governorate Media office shows an unnamed family, who were survivors of a tourist submarine that sank off the Red Sea coast, in a hospital room in Hurghada, Egypt.

Anaesthetist Ravil Valiullin, 40, and his wife Kristina, 39, a children's doctor, were on board the submarine along. It was initially reported she had died, but now reports suggest she was reunited with her kids at hospital. It is unclear what happened to him.

The Red Sea governor confirmed all six who died are Russian citizens.

Red Sea governor Amr Hanafy has revealed not all of the passengers onboard the submarine were Russian.

He said there were people from Norway, India and Sweden who were also onboard. However, all six passengers who lost their lives were Russian.

Authorities are investigating what caused the Sindbad submarine to sink in the Red Sea.

However, according to a Telegram post from the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, "unconfirmed reports" believe the submarine hit a reef and lost pressure at 20 metres.

The company website stated it takes tourists to a maximum depth of 60 metres.

Red Sea governor Amr Hanafy has revealed the submarine had a valid liecene and the crew leader had the correct "scientific certificates".

According to Sindbad, the company had been in operation for several years and owns two submarines, its website states.

The submarine was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crewmembers when it sank, Red Sea governor Maj. Gen. Amr Hanafi, said in a statement, adding rescue teams were quickly sent.

He said all six dead were Russians, and that 29 of the 39 tourists rescued were injured and taken to hospitals. No one was still missing from the vessel, he added.

The Red Sea area's governor has confirmed six tourists are dead and 39 others have been rescued.

Amr Hanafi also said in an update on Facebook that there are no tourists missing. He added authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

Survivor Elena Boldareva said the tourist submarine began to dive with hatches open.

People saved themselves as best they could, she said, adding: “Some managed to swim out, some didn’t."

Elena and her husband managed to swim out. But her daughter and mother were taken to the hospital in serious condition.

Tourists on boats nearby pulled people out of the water. Footage showed survivors in hospital, as Egyptian officials checked on them.

One tourist said he did not speak English well enough to explain what had happened.

An official asked if “everything is OK” after their horrendous ordeal.

The passengers who were on the stricken Red Sea submarine have been pictured for the first time.

Anaesthetist Ravil Valiullin, 40, and his wife Kristina, 39, a children’s doctor, were on the vessel. It is not immediately clear what happened to him. She was initially thought to have died, but it has since been reported she was reunited with her children in hospital.

The Health Ministry of Egypt has declared a state of emergency.

The ministry confirmed that six people have died, and that a further 27 more people are in hospital following the capsizing.

While some tourists who have taken trips aboard the Sindbad have praise the experience, internet users posting on review sites have said their undersea excursions were less than good.

One reviewer from Bridgend posting on TripAdvisor said in October 2024: "'They also 'big up' the qualifications of the captain.

"But constantly bumping the sub on the sea floor is not good for the sea life, sea floor, my sanity of ultimately I'd say the sub!"

The website responsible for booking the Sindbad submarine is now down, with the page returning a "Service Unavailable" 503 error.

Tom McDowell, 63, who travelled on the sub with his daughter Sarah, 29, and her boyfriend Robert, 28, and his grandson Jacob, 12, last year, said he was "nervous" to travel on the sub at first, but that he was impressed the setup was "all very professional".

He said: "I was shocked when I read the news that it has sunk - my heart goes out to the victims. When i was onboard I was surprised with how safety focused the crew were. The boat felt sturdy and the staff and the captain we very friendly and professional."

Tourists have recalled the ambulance sirens which "lasted a long time" after the submersible capsised this morning, adding they remain at the scene hours after the incident.

Speaking anonymously from Egypt, a tourist staying at the Sindbad Club in Hurghada - the hotel which owns the Sindbad submersible- told the BBC: "We heard the ambulance sirens which lasted a long time and there are still at least three ambulances at the harbour."

New pictures show search operations underway in Hurghada this afternoon, with tourists looking out at the Red Sea amid wall-to-wall sun and calm waters.

A British holiday-maker who travelled onboard the doomed Sindbad submarine which sank killing six passengers just three days ago today has vowed never to board a submersible ever again.

Kelly Collins, 32, descended 25 metres below the surface in the sub on Monday, March 24. Now, the "shocked" HGV driver, who was on holiday with her partner, says she’ll never go on a submarine again.

Kelly, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, decided to go on the sub with her partner Sharon, 54, after they saw the experience advertised on social media. She said: “I’m shocked, saddened and in disbelief to hear the news about the poor people on the submarine. I think this has put me off submarines.”

A 13-year-old girl is among three children to have been left orphaned by a horror submarine tragedy in Egypt. At least six people have been killed and another nine left injured after the tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, Egypt today,The submarine, named Sindbad, was sailing off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area with 45 people on board when it suddenly ran into difficulty, prompting a huge emergency rescue operation. It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink, though reports in Russian media said the vessel is believed to hit a coral reef and suffered "depressurisation". The vessel, which has been operating along the coast for several years, was on a tour of underwater coral reefs at the time.

Submarine tragedy sees 3 kids orphaned as parents killed onboard sinking boat

A new account of the accident said that the vessel got into trouble when it was at a pier and "began to sink".

According to one passenger, some of the tourists were already inside. Those who had not yet managed to get in tried to pull them out. Because the doors were open, water quickly flooded the vessel.

Those who did not have time to get out died. According to this account, crew members also died. A list showed the names of the passengers on the stricken submarine.

Husband and wife medics died on the stricken Red Sea submarine.

Anaesthetist Ravil Valiullin, 40, and his wife Kristina, 39, a children’s doctor, were killed on the vessel. Their daughters - aged ten and 15 - were on board the bathyscaphe, and survived. They are now in hospital, after being orphaned by the tragedy.

Ravel was reportedly an avid Liverpool FC supporter. They worked at the Urussu Central Regional Hospital in Tatarstan.

Two Russian children have been confirmed dead following the capsizing this morning.

Russia's state TASS news agency has said two of the six people who died in the incident were minors, while Egyptian officials speaking on condition of anonymity said they were unsure as to the nationality of the sixth person.