A tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea near the popular resort of Hurghada on Thursday. On board were 45 people from Russia, India and Norway. Six people were killed, all Russian citizens, while 39 were rescued. Four people should be severely injured. The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Ministry) is investigating information that Swedes may have been on board, but have no information that any Swedish citizens are among the dead. Several possible causes the submarine must have dropped near the harbor, which probably enabled the rescue effort. The cause of the accident is not yet officially confirmed. Bo Rask, former commander in the Swedish fleet, believes that there are three main tracks. – One is a collision under the surface, the other is an open gap when the submarine appeared and the third that it sank at the quay in connection with boarding. I believe in one of the last two options. If the submarine was completely underwater, probably no one would have survived, he says. According to Rask, damage to a plastic window may have led to rapid water penetration. – Some of the reinforced plastic windows may have broken. Then the vehicle is filled quickly, and the passengers must escape through a single gap. Those who are at the back of panic -stricken situations risk not getting out. Heavy stress on board nine people are injured, four of them difficult. – It indicates that they have been half -drowned, says Bo Rask. He believes that rapidly rising water may have caused both drowning incidents and severe stress. – It can be a few minutes for the water to fill such a vehicle. And so probably full panic towards the door, which is probably opened by someone in crew. So you should swim against a water current, towards a small hole, in full panic. It is a pure miracle that no more died, says Bo Rask. Prompts from luck with tourist submarines he warns of the risk that underwater trips attract tourists to take unnecessary risks. In June 2023, the private submarine imploded Titan, which would get down to Titanic’s wreck. All five on board were killed. – The sea is fantastic, but diving in a submarine as a tourist is a danger I do not recommend. I would rather suggest that you go with a ship that has the glass bottom to see the fantastic corals. Diving down with a submarine is an extra danger that is unnecessary to take, says Bo Rask. The tour operator TUI has stopped selling tickets to the tourist submarine. – It was probably the only thing straight, if you want to keep your tourists. It is awful that people die on their tourist trips and holidays, says Bo Rask.
t4-general