The crew of a submarine which sank in the Red Sea on a coral reef expedition in the Red Sea killing six tourists has been questioned by Egyptian authorities.
The submarine, run by Biblio Globus Egypt Tours, was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crew members, according to the Russian Embassy in Cairo.
They revealed that six Russians died, including two children. Another four passengers are believed to still remain in a critical condition.
Anesthesiologist Ravil Valiullin and his wife Kristina were both on board the vessel with their daughters who are understood to be receiving treatment in hospital.
Liliya Galimova, head of press for the Republic of Tatarstan where the couple are from, said it would take time to formally identify the victims after there was confusion over whether Mrs Valiullin had survived.
She told the Russian magazine Woman: “We rely on information that comes directly from the scene, from Egypt. As we can see, the information there is constantly changing. Apparently, time is needed. We will wait for clarification.”
Mr Valiullin’s father revealed his final conversation with his son before the doomed trip.
“They said they were going on an underwater excursion with the whole family. They wanted to show the children the fish,” he told the magazine.
A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Cairo said: “The Consulate General of Russia in Hurghad regrets to inform that six Russians died in the Sindbad Batiskaf accident, including two children. We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
“At present, seven Russian citizens, including five minors, remain in Hurghada hospitals. According to doctors, their condition is not alarming.”
The Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said the passengers on board were mostly Russian but also Egyptian, Indian, Norwegian and Swedish nationals.
He confirmed that the submarine was licensed and the crew commander had the required academic certificates from the Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport.
He added that the submarine was owned by an Egyptian national.
“I visited [survivors in hospital] and checked on them,” he wrote on a post on social media. “Their injuries ranged from wounds, bruises, sprains and shortness of breath. There are 4 cases in the intensive care that are at risk.”
