Inside the Sindbad tourist submarine that sunk in Egypt's Red Sea

By Alice Scarsi, World News Editor, Kris Boratyn, Audience Writer

The Sindbad submarine sank on Thursday. (Image: Williams Street Family Diaries)

The Sindbad submarine, which sank in the Red Sea on Thursday, has been running tourist trips in the popular Hurghada area for several years. Among the many tourists who enjoyed a trip in the past on the leisure vessel were members of the Williams Street Family Diaries YouTube channel.

A video shared on the platform five months ago provides a unique insight into the submarine. The footage shows passengers seated on both sides of a long cabin, each looking out of large circular windows offering underwater views.

In another shot, fish are seen swimming directly outside the glass. The submarine’s cockpit, shown in one clip, features two crew members at the controls with a clear front-facing view of the ocean ahead, surrounded by switches and monitors.

The Sindbad submarine offered three-hour underwater tours for tourists hoping to see the region’s coral reef.

The interior of the submarine. (Image: Williams Street Family Diaries)

The submarine reportedly went down on Thursday with 44 people of various nationalities on board. According to local media, at least six passengers are dead with nine injured, four of whom are in a critical condition.

The cause of Thursday's incident has not yet been confirmed, but Egypt’s Red Sea Health Directorate and the Egyptian Ambulance Authority have been placed on high alert.

Twenty-one ambulances were dispatched to the scene to transport the injured to hospital.

The vessel was operating near Hurghada, a popular resort destination for British, German, and other international tourists.

The submarine has been running tourist trips in Hurghada. (Image: Williams Street Family Diaries)

The coastal city stretches for 25 miles along the Red Sea and is known for its vibrant marine biodiversity, clear waters, and warm climate.

Local reports suggest the passengers had booked a sea trip to explore the coral reefs when disaster struck.

This isn’t the first time an incident like that has occurred in Egypt’s Red Sea.

In November last year, a tourist vessel called Sea Story capsized near the coral reef of Shaab Satayah, close to the resort town of Marsa Alam.

At the time, Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said a powerful wave struck the vessel, tipping it over within minutes.

Just last month, UK investigators revealed there have been 16 incidents involving “liveaboard” boats in the region over the past five years. Several of them have resulted in fatalities.