Three missing Britons have been confirmed dead after a fire broke out on an Egyptian dive touring boat

Three British tourists who went missing after an Egyptian submarine caught fire have died tragically, a tour operator has confirmed.

Scuba Travel, who chartered the boat, announced that the three Britons were ‘killed in the tragic incident’ that took place off the coast of Marsa Alam yesterday morning.

Footage posted on social media showed the tour boat transforming into a floating inferno as the stern was engulfed in flames and produced plumes of black smoke while off the coast of Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea.

Video showed terrified passengers jumping from the ship, which had 29 people on board at the time, into the water to escape after a suspected electrical fault in the engine room caused it to burst into flames.

As fears for the missing Britons grew, a Scuba Travel spokesperson said sky news today: ‘It is with great regret that we, as a tour operator, have to accept with a heavy heart that three of our highly valued diving guests have died in the tragic incident.

“Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time.”

Rescue services were alerted to the fire after the fire was believed to have started in the engine room due to an electrical circuit

Three British tourists reported missing have died after a boat caught fire during a diving trip

Shocking footage showed the stern of the boat being engulfed in flames as black smoke billowed from the ship

The tour boat company said the three passengers were among 15 qualified diving enthusiasts who were aboard the ‘Hurricane’ boat for a week’s journey when the fire broke out at around 6.30am UK time.

“At the time of the fire, 12 divers on board were briefing, with those missing apparently deciding not to dive that morning,” the company added.

Scuba Travel said that due to the severity of the fire, 12 divers were immediately evacuated to a nearby vessel, while the 14 crew had to abandon ship after trying to reach the missing guests.

A total of 26 passengers were rescued, 12 of them British and the remaining 14 presumably Egyptians. Egyptian police said the rescued people had no injuries and are in good health.

Police said the rescued crew suffered no injuries and were taken to shore in good health.

Local authorities will conduct a full investigation to determine the cause of the fire, while the boat cools down on its own before being towed to a port.

The cruiser left Port Ghalib in the eastern city of Marsa Alam on June 6 and was due to return yesterday.

It was said to be one of the Tornado Marine Fleet tours, offering ‘Luxury Red Sea Liveaboards’ for just under £1,500 per trip.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said yesterday: “We are in contact with local authorities following an incident on board a submarine near Marsa Alam, and are supporting the British nationals involved.”

MailOnline has contacted the State Department for an updated response.

Police said the rescued crew suffered no injuries and were taken to shore in good health

Pictured: The dive vessel moored at Daedalus Reef in the Red Sea, Egypt, before the fire

The Red Sea Governorate said: “The initial investigation resulted in an electrical short circuit in the engine room, and the investigative authorities proceeded to conduct an inspection and investigation.”

It added: ‘[The Secretary General] pointed out that the crew and passengers were rescued by the boat named ‘Blue’ and returned to the center of Marsa Alam, and that three British passengers are still being sought by the authorities and other boats involved, and stressed that the ambulance service and the Directorate of Health Affairs have been notified to increase preparedness levels and follow-up is underway.”

A diving enthusiast who was on the same ship, the Hurricane, in May said the boat was plagued with problems and no one was surprised that the fire had broken out.

He told MailOnline: ‘[We had] returning issues from the week of May 1 and 8. “There was no nitrox on board. They should have, but they never told us.

“The toilets and showers didn’t work properly.”

He added: ‘There was a problem below deck. They were pumping something out, but it came down my toilet.

‘The crew work very hard – they don’t get paid much – but the boat has seen better days.

“I was in cabin six in the bow, so I wouldn’t have wanted to get out.

“That doesn’t surprise any of us [the blaze] happened.’

Egypt’s Red Sea resorts are home to some of the country’s most renowned beach destinations and are popular with European vacationers.

It has cemented its reputation as a scuba diving destination with easy access to coral reefs from shore and dive sites with diverse marine life.