A day after they were reported missing following a frantic search by the captain and crew, three British tourists have been confirmed dead following a fire onboard a diving boat off the Red Sea coast of Egypt.

After leaving the ship on Sunday morning, the Hurricane's captain, 14 crew members, and another 12 divers were saved. The group had set sail toward Elphinstone Reef, a well-known diving location around 30 kilometers from the vacation town of Marsa Alam and 12 kilometers offshore.

A fire started onboard the diving boat around 8.30 am local time, according to the trip operator Scuba Travel and the diving boat's operator, Tornado Marine Fleet.

“It is with great regret that we, as the tour operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests who had not participated in the dive briefing, early on the morning of June 11, perished in the tragic incident,” said Pat Adamson, a spokesperson for Scuba Travel, the British company that organized the trip.

Preliminary investigations, according to the secretary general of Egypt's Red Sea governorate, Mohamed Bendary, seem to indicate that the fire started in the boat's engine room. Initial investigations suggested that an electrical short circuit in the engine room caused the fire, as per Egyptian authorities.

The Hurricane is a "liveaboard" yacht that can carry visitors for extended periods of time. The group had apparently spent six days aboard the yacht before the fire broke out.

“At the time the fire broke out 12 divers were participating in a briefing onboard, while those missing had apparently decided not to dive that morning. The severity of the fire meant that the 12 divers were immediately evacuated by boat to another craft nearby and the 14 crew members, including the captain and two dive guides, having tried to reach the missing guests, also had to abandon ship and were rescued,” said Adamson.

“The dive boat Hurricane is currently being towed to a port, yet to be nominated, as the vessel is still smoldering with cooling required before entry,” said Adamson.

Images of the boat taken off the vacation town of Marsa Alam's shore showed smoke billowing into the air and flames devouring both decks of the ship.

He continued by saying that Tornado Marine Fleet has a solid safety track record with Scuba UK. While previously confirming the incident and ongoing investigations, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt-based Tornado Marine Fleet, which operates liveaboard vessels, did not respond when contacted about the Hurricane's fatalities or to discuss specifics of the vessel's safety record, as per The Guardian.

On the website of Tornado Marine Fleet, it is said the 188-foot Hurricane was constructed in 2004. Twin diesel engines, an onboard jacuzzi, entertainment features, and what the firm called a "firefighting and alarm system" were all incorporated into the vessel.

The 12 divers who had been saved were transported to Marsa Shagra, a village north of Marsa Alam, where they got medical assistance and provided police with testimonies while the local government promised to look into the fire's origin.

Scuba UK reported that the party was receiving consular help to return to the UK after the fire aboard the Hurricane destroyed all of their personal belongings, including their passports.

It is worth noting that some of Egypt's most well-known beach spots are found in the Red Sea resorts, which are well-liked by tourists. With convenient access to coral reefs from coastlines and dive sites with a variety of marine life, the region has solidified its status as a diving destination.

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