The crew of a submarine which sank in the Red Sea on a coral reef expedition in the Red Sea killing six tourists has been questioned by Egyptian authorities.
The submarine, run by Biblio Globus Egypt Tours, was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crew members, according to the Russian Embassy in Cairo.
They revealed that six Russians died, including two children. Another four passengers are believed to still remain in a critical condition.
The Sindbad can go 25m under sea level to explore Egypt’s coral reefs (Sindbad Submarines)
Anesthesiologist Ravil Valiullin and his wife Kristina were both on board the vessel with their daughters who are understood to be receiving treatment in hospital.
Liliya Galimova, head of press for the Republic of Tatarstan where the couple are from, said it would take time to formally identify the victims after there was confusion over whether Mrs Valiullin had survived.
She told the Russian magazine Woman: “We rely on information that comes directly from the scene, from Egypt. As we can see, the information there is constantly changing. Apparently, time is needed. We will wait for clarification.”
Mr Valiullin’s father revealed his final conversation with his son before the doomed trip.
“They said they were going on an underwater excursion with the whole family. They wanted to show the children the fish,” he told the magazine.
The interior of a Sindbad submarine vessel (via REUTERS)
A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Cairo said: “The Consulate General of Russia in Hurghad regrets to inform that six Russians died in the Sindbad Batiskaf accident, including two children. We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
“At present, seven Russian citizens, including five minors, remain in Hurghada hospitals. According to doctors, their condition is not alarming.”
The Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said the passengers on board were mostly Russian but also Egyptian, Indian, Norwegian and Swedish nationals.
Amr Hanafi meets with survivors in hospital (AP)
He confirmed that the submarine was licensed and the crew commander had the required academic certificates from the Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport.
He added that the submarine was owned by an Egyptian national.
“I visited [survivors in hospital] and checked on them,” he wrote on a post on social media. “Their injuries ranged from wounds, bruises, sprains and shortness of breath. There are 4 cases in the intensive care that are at risk.”
It is not yet clear what caused the sinking.
An advert by Sindbad Club describes the experience onboard the submarine: “Enjoy the breathtaking view in the air-conditioned comfort and safety of our submarine.
“It offers 44 passenger seats, two pilots’ seats and a sizeable round viewing window for each passenger. Experience the beauty of the Red Sea underwater world without getting wet.”
The Sindbad submarine vessel at sea off Hurghada (David McArthur MBE via REUTERS)
The company added that it holds two of the “14 real recreational submarines” in the world.
A British woman said she had been on the submarine the day before.
“We are deeply heartbroken for those who lost their lives and for those injured in the tragic incident involving the Sindbad submarine,” she posted on Facebook.
“Just yesterday, we were on the same sub, and it’s unimaginable to see such sorrow unfold. Words fail us in this moment, as our hearts ache for the victims and their families.”
Travel vlogger Curtis Meredith told The Independent he had a “good experience” on the Sindbad submarine last year.
He said: “It’s one of those things that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We happened to stay at the Sindbad resort and they have the submarines. I’d imagine most people that stay there go on this excursion.
Curtis looks out from the Sindbad at a tropical fish 25metres under the Red Sea (X/CurtisMeredithh)
“For the trip, we got on a normal boat that went further out into the ocean and then mounted a platform before submerging into the submarine.”
Divers go alongside the submarine and hold out fish food to attract the vast arrays of marine life to the windows.
He added: “The sub goes 25 metres deep and explores about 500m of coral reef. It was an amazing experience for us. But it’s such a shame that this has happened.”
