Egypt submarine sinking: What we know so far

Six people have died after a tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, a local governor has said.

Among 39 others who were rescued, nine were said to have been injured, with four of them in critical condition, after the incident early on Thursday morning near the city of Hurghada.

In total, 45 passengers were thought to have been on-board the submarine, called Sindbad, when it sank close to the harbour.

Here is what we know so far.

The Red Sea area governor, Amr Hanafy, said six tourists died and 39 further people were rescued after the submarine sank. No people are missing.

He said the 45 passengers on board were from Russia, India, Norway and Sweden. There were also five Egyptians on board.

All of those who died were from Russia. A Russian official in Hurghada, Viktor Voropaev, said that two of those killed were children. Authorities in the Russian republic of Tatarstan told Russian media that two others who died were married doctors.

An earlier statement from the Russian embassy in Egypt had said all of the tourists on board were Russian.

The submarine, Sindbad, had been in operation as a tourist submarine for a number of years.

According to the company running the tourist trips - Sindbad Submarines - its vessels take passengers on journeys to explore coral reefs near the Hurghada coastline.

The company says it holds two of the only "14 real recreational submarines" in the world, which hold 44 seats for passengers and two seats for pilots.

Tours are designed for both adults and children, the company's website says, and allow passengers to travel 25 metres (82 feet) underwater.

Dr James Aldridge, who took the same trip on one of the company's submarines last month, said each passenger is given "a seat on a cushion next to your window and there is a recorded safety brief in multiple languages".

The vessel "wasn't cramped or overcrowded", Dr Aldridge, from Bristol, said, adding that he "never felt unsafe".

"The sub departed and we toured the reef for 40 minutes," he said. "For the first 20 I was facing the reef, the sub never strayed 'too close'."

According to Dr Aldridge, the divers accompanying the submarine "used fish food to attract the wildlife" to keep the passengers entertained.

Dr Aldridge said the submarine "never went close" to a 25-metre depth.

He was not, however, issued a life jacket.

Benjamin Grey, 50, from Camberley, also took a trip on a Sindbad submarine in February - but had quite a different experience.

He boarded with his 13-year-old daughter and his partner, and said he noticed "problems" during the trip, including the submarine surfacing "at least three times".

"About halfway through there was a diver who looked like he'd picked up a rock," he said. "He was banging something on the bottom of the submarine. Clearly at some point the submarine had stopped moving and the divers outside were doing something."

He also said - in contrast to Dr Aldridge - that "no safety procedures were talked through".

The submarine sank around one kilometre (0.6 miles) off the coast of the Egyptian Red Sea city of Hurghada, the BBC understands.

The Russian embassy said it happened around 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT), about 0.6 miles (1km) from the shore.

Hurghada is a popular tourist destination, with its coastline known for its beaches and coral reefs. A number of tourist trip companies operate out of its harbour.

In recent years, there have been other incidents involving Red Sea tourist boats operating out of the city.

In November, a tourist boat called the Sea Story sank, leaving 11 dead or missing - including a British couple - and 35 survivors. The BBC later heard accusations of safety failings on board.

UK investigators said last month there had been 16 incidents involving "liveaboard" vessels in the area in the last five years, with a number resulting in deaths.

Authorities in Egypt are investigating the cause of the incident, and details are currently unclear.

There continues to be a lot of activity from other boats around the harbour near where the submarine sank.

Red Sea governor Amr Hanafy said the submarine had a valid licence and the crew leader had the correct "scientific certificates".

It appeared that the weather was quite calm with no sign of any rough waters.