Tourist Yacht Sinks in Red Sea, Leaving 17 Missing

Rescuers in Egypt are searching for 17 people who are reported missing after a luxury yacht with 31 tourists and 14 crew members aboard sank in the Red Sea early Monday.

The 144-foot-long vessel, named the Sea Story, had departed from a port near Marsa Alam on Sunday to embark on a five-day diving trip, the BBC reports. Marsa Alam is a popular tourist destination on the southern coast of Egypt known for its diving and famous coral reefs. However, authorities received a distress signal from the boat just before dawn on Monday. 

It's unknown how many of those missing were tourists or part of the crew, who were all Egyptian. But two British citizens are reportedly among the unaccounted for, as well as one Finland national. There were also five Spanish, four British, four Germans, and two U.S. citizens aboard the yacht. Polish foreign ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski also said that two Polish citizens may have been part of the sailing.

The exact cause of the sinking is likewise unclear, however the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had forecast turbulent weather for Sunday and Monday, with winds between 37 to 43 mph and waves of up to 10 to 13 feet high. As such, authorities had advised against marine activities through Monday.

According to The Telegraph, a manager at a diving resort nearby the rescue operations reported that a rescued crew member said the Sea Story was "hit by a wave in the middle of the night, throwing the vessel on its side." The yacht, which has four decks and 18 cabins, can accommodate up to 36 passengers.

Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi, governor of the Red Sea region, said that 28 people had been rescued from the shipwreck site, south of Marsa Alam, and had been airlifted to receive medical treatment. Hanafi also noted that rescue efforts were still very much ongoing, with the Egyptian Navy warship El Fateh and military aircraft assisting in the search.

"Intensive search operations are underway in co-ordination with the navy and the armed forces," Hanafi added.

Back in August, weather was also partly to blame for the sinking of another luxury ship, the 184-foot-long Bayesian superyacht that capsized after getting caught in violent storms off the coast of Sicily. A total of seven people were killed in that incident, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.