Russian tourists killed in submarine sinking off Egyptian coast

At least six people have been killed after a tourist submarine sank off the coast of Egypt.

A further nine have been injured in the incident, which happened off the coast of Hurghada, a Red Sea resort town popular with British tourists. Four of the injured are understood to be in a critical condition.

The submarine, named Sindbad, had 45 tourists, including children, on board when it sank close to the harbour, the Telegraph reported.

The authorities said all the victims are foreign nationals, and that 29 other people had been rescued.

The Russian embassy in Cairo confirmed that four of the victims were Russian nationals, telling NBC News: “The fate of several tourists is being clarified.”

The cause of the sinking remains unclear, and authorities have not yet confirmed final casualty numbers.

The Russian embassy said: “On March 27, at about 10:00, the Sindbad bathyscaphe, owned by the hotel of the same name, crashed 1km off the shore...In addition to the crew, there were 45 tourists on board, including minors.”