A safari boat carrying 45 individuals, including 31 tourists and 14 crew members, sank off the northern coast of Marsa Alam city in the Red Sea on Monday, according to a statement from the Red Sea Province.

Governor Amro Hanfy confirmed that some survivors had been rescued and transported by air for medical treatment. However, the exact number of those saved remains unclear. Search and rescue operations, involving coordination with Egypt’s armed and naval forces, are ongoing.

The incident occurred near a coral reef in northern Marsa Alam, with the province's control center receiving a distress signal from the vessel, Sea Story, at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT).

The governor urged residents and visitors to avoid the area to facilitate rescue operations.

The boat, which was on a diving expedition, had departed Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam on November 24 and was scheduled to return to Hurghada Marina on November 29.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident, as efforts to locate the missing continue. (ILKHA)