Egypt boat fire: Three British passengers confirmed dead dive boat incident in Red Sea

Three British passengers who were aboard the ‘Hurricane’ dive boat in Egypt when a fire broke out have been confirmed dead. The passengers were initially reported as missing, however, the tour operator Scuba Travel have now confirmed they have died.

A spokesman for Scuba Travel said: "It is with great regret that we, as tour operators, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests perished in the tragic incident. Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time."

The company released a previous statement that said the three passengers were among 15 qualified diving enthusiasts who were on board the ‘Hurricane’ dive boat for a week-long stay. The fire reportedly broke out at around 8:30am local time (6:30am UK time) on Sunday, June 11.

The boat was off the Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea, and a search had been underway for the three divers following the fire. The statement from the company read: "At the time the fire broke out, 12 divers were participating in a briefing on board, while those missing had apparently decided not to dive that morning."

Scuba Travel revealed that the severity of the fire meant that 12 of the divers were immediately evacuated to another craft nearby. The 12 guests were taken ashore to Marsa Shagra where they were given medical attention and gave statements to local authorities. The 14 crew members also had to abandon ship after trying to reach the missing guests.