London : Three UK citizens who went missing after their boat caught fire off the Egyptian Red Sea coast have been confirmed dead.
The trio, whose identities have not been confirmed, were aboard the Hurricane, a scuba diving boat run by operator Scuba Travel.
The boat was engulfed by flames as people prepared to dive from it to the Elphinstone Reef near the resort of Marsa Alam at around 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Twelve other divers and 14 crew were rescued from the fire, with footage showing some leaping from the boat into the sea.
“It is with great regret that we, as tour operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests, perished in the tragic incident,” a spokesperson for Scuba Travel told Sky News.
“Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time.”
The statement added: “At the time the fire broke out, 12 divers were participating in a briefing on board, while those missing had apparently decided not to dive that morning.”
The company said crew members had tried to reach the missing guests before being forced to abandon the Hurricane due to the ferocity of the fire.
The 12 guests rescued from the blaze received medical attention at nearby Marsa Shagra, where they also spoke to local police.
The Hurricane had been on a diving tour of the area, having set sail from Port Ghalib on Tuesday. It was due to return to Port Ghalib on Sunday.
Egyptian authorities determined that “an electrical short circuit in the boat’s engine room sparked the blaze,” following an initial investigation.
A more thorough investigation will be carried out when the Hurricane is towed to a secure location and has sufficiently cooled.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has contacted the families of the three deceased tourists.
In a statement, the FCDO said: “We are in contact with local authorities following an incident aboard a dive boat near Marsa Alam, and are supporting British nationals involved.”
