The Hurghada Misdemeanor Court has ordered the release of the captain of the “Sinbad” tourist submersible, which sank in the Red Sea earlier this year and caused the deaths of six Russian tourists and left dozens injured.
The captain was released without any guarantees.
The court also decided to adjourn the hearings until November 26.
During the session, the defense lawyer for the accused demanded the captain’s release and called for the formation of an independent technical and engineering committee to prepare an impartial report on the causes and circumstances of the accident, separate from the technical report submitted to the Public Prosecution.
The Red Sea General Prosecution previously referred the submarine captain to trial while in custody on charges of involuntary manslaughter and causing accidental injury, after receiving an initial technical report on the causes of the sinking from a specialized committee.
A horrific accident
Investigations revealed that water leaked into the submersible before it was fully operational or had moved from its offshore platform, while passengers were still boarding.
The captain confirmed in his testimony that he managed to evacuate a large number of passengers and was the last person to leave the submersible after it was fully submerged and visibility inside had been reduced to zero.
The Red Sea Governorate Operations Center was notified of the accident in late March.
The submersible sank while moored near a famous Hurghada hotel, carrying 50 passengers, including five Egyptian crew members and 45 tourists of various nationalities.
The accident resulted in the deaths of six Russian tourists and injuries to 29 others who were taken to hospitals, while the remaining passengers were rescued and returned to their accommodations.
The Sinbad submersible was one of the most prominent tourist submersibles operating in Hurghada.
The operating company is one of only 14 operators worldwide that offer underwater tourist trips to view the coral reefs and marine life in the depths of the Red Sea.
A detailed technical report prepared by a committee from the Maritime Safety Authority in Alexandria confirmed that at the time of the incident, the submersible did not suffer a direct collision and had not moved from the platform location.
The report reviewed maintenance logs, operating licenses, last voyage recordings, and the captain’s and crew’s certifications to determine the company’s adherence to safety standards and assign due responsibility.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
