The tourist yacht, Sea Story, carried 31 tourists of various nationalities: German, British, American, Polish, Belgian, Swiss, Finnish, Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, and Irish, and 13 Egyptian crew members.

Rescue teams saved 28 people and were still searching for the missing 16 individuals, 12 foreigners and four Egyptians, according to Hanafi.

The boat was on a diving trip that departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday and was scheduled to return to Hurghada Marina on Friday.

According to Hanafi, the boat, which was 34 metres long and 9.5 meteres wide, capsized 46 nautical miles from Marsa Alam's coast.

Hanafi noted that military frigates and aircraft are actively patrolling the area in coordination with the Marine Rescue Centre and the governorate's operations room to expedite the search and rescue mission.

The governor added that around 10 ambulances were dispatched to provide first aid and rescue aircraft to transport some survivors for medical care.

He affirmed that the capsizing of Sea Story has not resulted in any pollution or oil spills.

Governor Hanafi said the rescued passengers were transferred to Marsa Alam’s One-Day Surgery Hospital for medical evaluation and care, noting that they had minor injuries, mainly bruises and abrasions. 

According to the governorate’s statement, the tourist boat sent a distress signal at 5:30am.

The governorate's control centre promptly notified various authorities, including the Marine Rescue Centre.

Rescue teams used a helicopter and a naval unit to locate the incident site.

Relevant authorities are investigating the accident to determine the exact cause.  

According to Governor Hanafi, Sea Story passed its last annual maritime safety inspection in March 2024.  

In TV remarks, the governor said that all consulates and embassies have been contacted to complete the necessary procedures, whether related to documents and travel, due to the loss of all tourists' personal identification papers and belongings during the boat sinking.  

The Egyptian army deployed several naval vessels and aircraft from the Search and Rescue Centre to participate in search and rescue efforts, according to a statement.

Additionally, the General Command of the Armed Forces issued orders to the Naval Forces to intensify their efforts to continue the search operations for the remaining missing persons and survivors.

The statement said a tourist boat in the vicinity of the incident played a significant role in the rescue efforts.

The Sea Story capsizing comes amid unstable weather conditions in Egypt.

On Sunday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had advised the suspension of all maritime activities on Sunday and Monday after forecasting sea turbulence in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.

Wave heights were predicted to reach 4-6 metres in the Mediterranean and 3-4 metres in the Red Sea.