Tourist boat sinks in Egypt: 30 rescued

An Egyptian security official says 30 people including Russian tourists have been rescued from a boat before it capsized in the Red Sea.

The official said Saturday the tourist boat Mary Lou was travelling from Safaga on the Red Sea coast on a diving trip with 19 Russians when strong winds and high waves flooded parts of the boat. Another 11 Egyptians of the crew were on the boat.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.

Red Sea resorts are a key tourist attraction in Egypt. The sector has yet to recover from three years of political unrest that has sapped one of the economy's main sources of foreign currency.

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