At least one Irish person is believed to have been onboard a tourist yacht which sank in the Red Sea off Egypt.
The yacht, called the Sea Story, was carrying 44 people when it sank shortly before dawn on Monday.
While the Department of Foreign Affairs would not confirm how many Irish people were believed to be on board the vessel or if any were missing, a spokesman said on Monday evening: “The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of this incident and is providing consular assistance.
“As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases.”
It is understood that four British nationals were also on board the yacht. News agency Al-Masry Al-Youm said citizens on board also included German, Spanish, Belgian, Chinese, American, Slovakian, Swiss, Polish, Norwegian, and Finnish.
According to the governor of the Red Sea region, Major General Amr Hanafi, 28 people were saved by rescuers, while 16 people were still missing on Monday evening.
An emergency operation was sparked by a distress call before dawn on Monday. The vessel had left Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day excursion. Navy and air force teams were deployed to the area.
Mr Hanafi said that survivors said a “high sea wave” hit the yacht, resulting in it capsizing quickly.
In a message posted on social media, he said that some passengers were inside cabins on the yacht, which “is why they couldn’t get out of the boat”.
The sinking followed a weather warning issued on Sunday and Monday by the Egyptian Meteorological Authority about high waves in the Red Sea. The warning also advised against maritime activity.
The yacht was operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, which is based in Egypt.
