Egypt: 37 People Rescued from Sunken Tourist Boat in Red Sea

Hurghada (Reuters)
Hurghada (Reuters)
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Egypt: 37 People Rescued from Sunken Tourist Boat in Red Sea

Hurghada (Reuters)
Hurghada (Reuters)

The Red Sea operations room rescued on Tuesday 37 people from drowning, including foreign tourists, after their tourist boat sank north of the Egyptian city of Hurghada in the Red Sea.

The operations room received a Mayday that a tourist boat carrying the name “Carlton” sank north of Hurghada after water was getting into the hull.

The boat was carrying 37 people, including 26 tourists from different nationalities, eight crew members, and three diving guides.

Major General Ashraf El-Beh, the head of the city, confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat the safety of all tourists who were on board the boat. “They were all rescued,” he said, noting that no injuries were reported.

He added that authorities are following up on the incident and will investigate the reasons for the sinking.

The ill-fated tourist boat sank near Al-Gouna resort in Hurghada, according to El-Beh.

The privately-owned boat sank during a cruise to one of the diving areas, he added.

Last week, the city of Hurghada reported an increase in hotels and resorts occupancy on Eid Al-Fitr holiday.

On Saturday, Hurghada International Airport recorded the highest weekly arrivals, receiving 152 regular flights and charters carrying about 27,000 tourists.

The marine tourism movement in the Red Sea city is witnessing an increasing activity, especially for cruises and diving.

Three weeks ago, a tourist boat carrying 14 people and two of its crew also sank while on a trip to the Giftun Islands, facing the Hurghada coasts, due to strong winds and high waves.

Other tourist boats in the Red Sea were able to save the passengers.



Yemen's Houthis Shoot Down What Witnesses Say Was a US Drone, American Military Investigates

Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
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Yemen's Houthis Shoot Down What Witnesses Say Was a US Drone, American Military Investigates

Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)

Yemen's Houthi militants shot down what bystanders described as an American drone early Friday, potentially the latest downing of a US spy drone as the militants continue their attacks on the Red Sea corridor.
The US military acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to be a flaming aircraft dropping out of the sky and a field of burning debris in what those off-camera described as an area of Yemen's al-Jawf province. The military said it was investigating the incident, declining to elaborate further.
It wasn't immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down in the low-quality night video, The Associated Press said.
The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles capable of downing aircraft such as the Iranian missile known as the 358. Iran denies arming the group, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthis despite a United Nations arms embargo.
The Houthis have been a key component of Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance" during the Mideast wars that includes Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for downing the aircraft. However, it can take their fighters hours or even days after an incident before they acknowledge it.
Since the Houthis seized the country’s north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the militants have shot down MQ-9 Reaper drones in Yemen in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The US military has declined to offer a total figure for the number of drones it has lost during that time.
Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The aircraft have been flown by both the US military and the CIA over Yemen for years.
The Houthis have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.
The militants maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. The tempo of the Houthi sea attacks also has waxed and waned over the months.
In October, the US military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by the Houthis.