Six Foreign Tourist dies as Sindbad Submarine sinks in Red Sea
Place in News
5 min read
In a tragic accident, six foreign tourists on board the Sindbad submarine died after the submarine sank off the coast of the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada on 27 March 2025. All six foreigners killed were Russians. Hurghada is a major destination for divers, snorkelers, and other tourists who come to enjoy the spectacular Red Sea’s extensive coral reefs.
The sinking of the Submarine is a setback for Egypt as tourism is a major source of foreign exchange earnings for the country.
Sinking of the Sindbad Submarine
The Sindabad submarine was a recreational submarine that was carrying 45 foreign tourists from Russia, India, Sweden and Norway and five Egyptian crew members.
The submarine, equipped with large portholes, allows the passengers to see the Red Sea's spectacular corals and marine life. The 40-minute underwater cruise was capable of descending up to a depth of 20-25 metres in the sea.
It is likely that the submarine struck a reef while about 20m (65 feet) below the surface of the sea and began to lose pressure. It led to water flooding the submarine and its subsequent sinking.
Set Back to the Underwater Tourism Industry
Underwater tourism is gaining popularity around the world. Underwater tourism includes scuba diving and undersea reef exploration. Undersea reef exploration is done with tourists using the submarines and submersibles vehicles.
However, underwater tourism also faces dangers as it is poorly regulated.
In June 2023, a privately owned submersibleTitan sank off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, killing all five occupants.
Impact on Egypt
Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange for the struggling Egyptian economy. According to a United Nations report Egypt earned $14.1 billion from tourism in 2024. It was more than twice the amount the country earns from the Suez Canal.
Foreign tourists visit Egypt to see its great pyramids of Giza, cruise in the River Nile in Luxor and Aswan.
The Red Sea has also emerged as a major hub of Egypt's cruise tourism.
The Egyptian tourism industry faces a threat from Islamic militants active in the country who have attacked foreign tourists. In recent times due to the attack by the Yemeni Houthis on ships in the Red Sea has also affected foreign visits to Egypt.
About Red Sea
The Red Sea is an inland sea that lies between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The Red Sea separates the coasts of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea in Africa from those of Saudi Arabia and Yemen in Asia.
The Red Sea is connected with the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal and is one of the busiest trade routes in the world.
The Red Sea contains a cyanobacterium called Trichodesmium erythraeum, which turns the normally blue-green water a reddish-brown. Hence, the sea is called the Red Sea.
About the Islamic Republic of Egypt
Egypt is a part of the Arabian civilization, which lies on the African continent.
It is an ancient civilization that developed along the River Nile.
The father of History and ancient Greek historian Herodotus, called Egypt the gift of the Nile.
Currency: Egyptian pound
Capital: Cairo
President: Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi
