Scuba yacht fire in Egypt leaves tourists stranded

A scuba yacht in Port Ghalib, Egypt caught fire after pressurized air tanks exploded. Two British tourists, Jeremy Brooks and Keith Sheppard, escaped just in time. The incident happened on March 13, when they were on a diving holiday. Jeremy and Keith were asleep when they heard loud banging and alarms at 6:30 a.m. They ran to safety as flames spread quickly across the boat. Jeremy described the explosions as sounding "like bombs." Thankfully, they were in port, so they could leave the yacht safely. Firefighters arrived to control the blaze. Jeremy expressed concern for the crew and lost many personal items, including important documents and sentimental belongings. His friend Keith lost his phone, leaving him unable to reach family, but he found a way to contact them. The two tourists remained stranded in Egypt for five days while waiting for temporary passports. The dive company, Emperor Divers, assisted them and provided new clothes, but Jeremy still faces a £5,000 bill to replace his diving gear. Emperor Divers thanked their crew for successfully evacuating everyone unharmed. This incident follows a previous tragedy in November 2023, when another yacht capsized near Marsa Alam, resulting in the loss of lives and numerous missing persons.