THE Red Sea submarine tragedy which killed six is the latest in a string of disasters to hit the Egyptian tourist hotspot.
A series of deadly accidents – from dive boats sinking to shark maulings – has tainted the holiday resort destination’s image.
The carnage has even prompted a warning from the UK government to would-be travellers about the perils of the Red Sea.
Six people died and 39 were miraculously rescued after the Sindbad pleasure submarine sank off the Egyptian resort city of Hurghada on Thursday.
Bombshell first images of the sunken sub just moments after the tragedy showed it floundering on the sea bed.
Reviews of previous trips in the sub revealed it had scraped and bumped along the sea floor.
And past passengers described it as “the worst experience ever” with the vessel being in “terrible condition”.
But this is far from the first boating calamity on the Red Sea.
There have been as many as 16 dive boat accidents in the past five years – often attributed to dodgy, over-modified equipment.
Live-aboard dive boats have been proven especially dangerous – and were the focus of the government’s warning.
The Sea Story boat capsized and sank in November 2024, killing 11 of the 44 onboard.
Two more boats run by the same firm – Dive Pro Liveaboard – have sunk in the past three years.
Scuba Scene was destroyed by a fire in April 2022 with 36 onboard, and the same happened to Sea Legend in February 2024.
The passengers and crew of those voyages were lucky to all escape alive.
Holidaymakers also contend with the constant threat of shark attacks in the Red Sea, with some killed in horror maulings.
A Romanian woman called Elisabeth Sauer, 68, was mauled to death by a tiger shark in July 2022.
She had been snorkelling in shallow waters – as tourists often do – when the killing machine pounced on her.
Disturbing images showed a red stain of blood growing in the water following the attack.
Then a 24-year-old Russian man was dragged into the water and savaged to death by a 10ft-long beast in June 2023.
The man’s head and hand were reportedly later found inside the shark’s digestive system.
And an EU diplomat, Italian Gianluca di Gioia, 48, was ripped apart in December 2024.
Meanwhile, Peppino Fappani, 69, a retired dentist, tried to fight off one of the beasts by jabbing it in the eye – sustaining gruesome wounds to his right hand in the struggle.
A stark warning from the UK government issued in November 2024 read: “Over the last 5 years, 16 accidents have occurred involving liveaboard dive vessels operating in the Red Sea.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13887100/red-sea-disasters-submarine-sharks-boats/
