The sightseeing submarine "Sindbad," carrying Russian tourists, sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Hurghada, Egypt. The tragedy occurred one kilometer from the shore on March 27.
There were 45 Russians on board the submarine; six people died, including two Russians. Eight people remain in hospitals in the resort city.
The cause of the accident is being investigated. According to preliminary data, the submarine was on a regular sightseeing trip to the coral reefs and collided with one of them.
Meanwhile, the tourists themselves blame the crew for what happened. According to them, the vessel began to submerge before boarding was complete, and the doors and hatches were open. A larger number of casualties was avoided because many passengers did not have time to enter.
According to tour operators, such submarines are very popular with tourists. The excursion, lasting up to two hours, costs from three to seven thousand rubles, depending on the duration of the dive. During the trip, vacationers have the opportunity to admire the corals and observe the behavior of fish.
Last November, a vessel heading for a dive safari with foreign tourists on board sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Hurghada in stormy weather. Then 11 people died. According to tourism experts, such tragedies are caused, among other things, by insufficient control by supervisory authorities, which should clearly monitor the safety of sea and other risky excursions. Negligence on the part of specific organizers of underwater dives is also possible.
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