Two British tourists are reported to be among those missing after a dive boat capsized and sank in the Red Sea.
At least 16 people remained unaccounted for after 28 were rescued after a wave hit the vessel.
The Sea Story, with a capacity for 36 passengers and 12 crew, was on a five-day diving trip when it sank off the south Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam.
Red Sea regional governor Air Hanafi was quoted as saying a sudden “huge wave” hit the boat with 31 tourists of different nationalities on board along with 13 members of crew.
The vessel capsized within 5-7 minutes in the early hours of Monday morning, he said.
A distress call was received at 5.30am local time from the boat, which departed from Porto Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday with plans to sail to Hurghada Marina on November 29.
The foreign nationals on board the 34-metre-long vessel, operated by Dive Pro Liveaboard, included four Britons, with others from Ireland, the US, Belgium, China, Finland, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland.
A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt and are in contact with the local authorities.”