‘Three British passengers missing’ as tourist boat carrying 29 people catches fire in Red Sea

This is the heartbreaking moment when passengers jump from an Egyptian tourist boat engulfed in flames.

Three British tourists are reportedly missing after a boat caught fire during a diving trip.

There were 29 people on the ship, named Hurricane, that caught fire in the Red Sea, Egypt.

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

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

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 are reportedly missing 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

So far, 26 passengers have been rescued, of which 12 are British and the remaining 14 are believed to be 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.

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

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

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.’

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

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

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

A search has been launched following the fire today to find the remaining three British tourists, whose identities have not been released.

A spokesman for the Tornado Marine Fleet, which owns the boat, said: ‘At 6:30am today in Elphinstone, during the dive briefing, the hurricane caught fire.

“We have three missing British passengers and everyone else… have safely reached the nearest country.

“Now we’ll take the boat back to the marina under authority.”

Searches for the missing Britons continue and a further update will be provided once the investigation is complete, the spokesman added.

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.