Disaster in the Red Sea: tourist boat with 45 people on board sinks

A large-scale operation is underway in the waters of the Red Sea, off the coast of southern Egypt, to locate those missing after the sinking of the tourist boat *Sea Story*, as reported by youm7.com.

The incident occurred near the Shaab Satayah coral reef, close to the city of Marsa Alam. A distress call was received at 5:30 AM on November 25, 2024, by the Red Sea Control Center.

The boat had departed on a multi-day diving tour from the port of Porto Ghalib on November 24, carrying 31 tourists from different countries and 14 crew members. The boat was scheduled to return to Hurghada Marina on November 29, but a distress signal was detected on the morning of November 25.

Rescue services were immediately dispatched to the disaster zone. The Egyptian Navy deployed a helicopter and the frigate *Al-Fateh*, which set out from the port of Berenice. The operation is being coordinated with local authorities and military structures.

The cause of the sinking remains unknown. Reports suggest that adverse weather conditions in the region at the time may have contributed to the tragedy.

According to the Governor of the Red Sea Province, Amr Hanafi, all services have been placed on high alert. The rescue operation continues around the clock, but as of now, there is no official information on the number of survivors or missing persons. Authorities have promised to provide regular updates on the search progress.

Earlier reports mentioned that on the Greek island of Corfu, rescuers discovered the bodies of two Ukrainian women, a mother and daughter, who drowned after deciding to swim during a storm despite unsafe conditions.

It was also reported that the C-Lion1 underwater fiber optic cable, connecting Finland and Germany along the Nord Stream pipelines, was damaged. The cause of the incident remains unknown, but it has disrupted international communication.