The second day of the hunt for 16 persons who went missing after a tourist boat capsized in the Red Sea on Monday has begun.
According to officials, 28 of the forty-four persons on board the Sea Story were rescued when it sank.
The BBC understands that two of those missing are British. Authorities claim four Egyptians are also missing, while Finland reported that one of its citizens was missing.
A big wave might have struck the boat and caused it to sink.
According to officials, the Sea Story departed port on Sunday for a five-day diving expedition close to the eastern town of Marsa Alam.
The governor of the Red Sea governorate said that around 05:30 (03:30 GMT) on Monday, the boat carrying 44 persons put out a distress signal.
The boat sank in five to seven minutes, according to Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi.
He stated that survivors were discovered south of Marsa Alam in the Wadi el-Gemal region.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of high waves and turbulence across the Red and Mediterranean seas on Saturday.
They reported that wave heights were three to four meters (10–13 feet) high and wind speeds were from 37–43 mph (60–70 kmph).
According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the crew of the Sea Story are all Egyptians while the tourists on board included five Spanish, four British, four Germans and two US nationals.
There was also an Irish person on board the ship, the Red Sea governor said, though it its not known if they are among the missing.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said they were providing “support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt”.
The Chinese embassy in Egypt confirmed two of its nationals were “in good health” after being rescued.