CAIRO (AP) — A tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea on Monday after warnings of rough waters and 16 people were missing, Egyptian officials said.
The governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said rescuers saved 28 people from the vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam, and some were airlifted to receive medical treatment.
Hanafy visited the site where the vessel sank, according to a Red Sea Governorate update on Facebook. A total of 44 people were on board the yacht, including 13 Egyptians, who include crew members, and 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain, and Ireland.
The governor confirmed that rescuers were still searching for the missing, including four Egyptians and 12 foreigners. Meanwhile, those who survived suffered only bruises and abrasions and were taken to a hotel in Marsa Alam in good condition.
The boat, named Sea Story, had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March, according to officials.
Preliminary reports, based on statements from the yacht crew and tourists, said a large wave crashed into the boat, causing it to capsize, according to the governorate’s update. Some of the passengers were inside the cabins when the incident unfolded within minutes, according to the statements.
The U.K. Foreign Office said it was providing consular support to “a number of British nationals and their families” after the sinking.
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs also told The Associated Press in an email that it is “aware of this incident and is providing consular assistance” without revealing further details.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of any Spanish nationals among the missing. The ministry said that five Spanish nationals were rescued and are out of danger.
The governorate received a report shortly before dawn Monday of a distress call made from the yacht, which had left Marsa Alam for a five-day journey.
It was not immediately clear what caused the four-deck, wooden-hulled motorized yacht to sink. But the Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.
A person answering the phone at the company that operates the yacht, Dive Pro Liveaboard in Hurghada, Egypt, told The Associated Press they have “no information” and hung up.
According to its website, the Sea Story was built in 2022 and can hold 36 passengers.
The Egyptian military was coordinating rescue operations with the governorate.
Many tourist companies have stopped or limited traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
Associated Press writer Brian Melley in London and correspondent Suman Naishadham in Madrid contributed to this report.
Rescuers wait on the beach of Marsa Alam, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea following warnings about rough seas. (AP Photo)
Survivors rest at a coffee shop in Marsa Alam, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea following warnings about rough seas. (AP Photo)
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police Monday fired tear gas canisters at supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop them from entering the capital, where they hoped to stage a sit-in to demand his release, officials said.
The firing of tear gas came shortly after demonstrators — who traveled 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the restive northwest — began arriving and gathering near Islamabad. They defied a lockdown, previous tear gas and widespread arrests despite a ban on rallies in the city.
The development came a day after the leadership of Khan’s party went ahead with the “long march” even as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived for a three-day visit. He was received at an airport near the capital by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday evening.
Authorities said at least one police officer was killed and several officers and demonstrators were injured in clashes. The marchers appeared determined to enter Islamabad, where the lockdown, which has been in place for two days, has disrupted daily life.
The government was in talks with Khan's party to avoid any further violence, officials said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters after midnight that the government is willing to allow Khan supporters to rally on the outskirts of Islamabad but he threatened extreme measures if they entered the city to protest.
Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.
A convoy of vehicles carrying protesters was expected to enter the capital Monday night. Security officials say they expect between 9,000 and 11,000 demonstrators, while the PTI says the number will be much higher.
Video on social media showed Khan supporters donning gas masks and protective goggles.
Travel between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible. Ambulances and cars were seen turning back from areas along the key Grand Trunk Road highway in Punjab province, where shipping containers were used to block roads.
Video circulating online showed some protesters operating heavy machinery to remove the containers.
“We are determined, and we will reach Islamabad, though police are using tear gas to stop our march,” PTI senior leader Kamran Bangash told The Associated Press. “We will overcome all hurdles one by one, and our supporters are removing shipping containers from roads."
Bangash also said Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was recently released on bail in a graft case, will lead the march along with Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Khan’s party remains in power.
Earlier, almost 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Islamabad, Bibi, wearing a white head-to-toe burqa, addressed protesters while sitting in a truck, urging them to remain determined to achieve their goal and free Khan. She then chanted, “God is great” and left.
Khan’s main political opponent, Sharif, heads the current government.
Sharif’s spokesperson, Attaullah Tarar, said on Sunday that whenever any high-profile foreign delegation comes to Pakistan, the PTI “begins the politics of long marches and onslaught on Islamabad to harm the economy.”
Some economists say protests cause billions of rupees in damages to the country's fragile economy.
Protesters on Sunday night burned trees as police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds. Khan supporters retaliated by using slingshots and pelting security personnel with rocks.
In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns,” which the PTI said affected its call on social media for a protest. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested.
Authorities say only courts can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a graft case, in August 2023.
Khan has been sentenced in several cases. His convictions were later overturned on appeal but he cannot be freed due to other pending cases against him.
Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
In this photo released by Press Information Department, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, center, greets Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, upon his arrival at an airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (Press Information Department via AP)
Supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, burn bushes to reduce the impact of tear gas shells fired by police officers to disperse them during a rally demanding Khan's release, at a motorway in Ghazi in Attock district, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Maaz Awan)
Supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, burn bushes to reduce the impact of tear gas shells fired by police officers to disperse them during a rally demanding Khan's release, at a motorway in Ghazi in Attock district, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Maaz Awan)
