Two British victims of Egyptian dive boat inferno ‘had decided to sleep in on the morning of fire’

Two British victims on the Egyptian submarine that caught fire in the Red Sea had decided to sleep it off the morning the fire broke out, while the other Briton who perished returned to his cabin to collect personal belongings, a report said.

Sources told Al Arabiya.net that the three missing persons, a woman and two men, were in their rooms on the boat when the fire broke out on Sunday morning. then returned.

They also added that he may have wanted to take his phone, passport or some of his personal belongings from the room, but was unable to escape.

The sources told the media that the other two, the man and the woman, were sleep lovers who hated waking up early and were sleeping when the fire broke out because they did not participate in the diving trip.

They also noted that their rooms were near the fuel tank and they may have died from suffocation or from their burns.

Scuba Travel, who chartered the boat, announced that the three Britons who ‘killed in the tragic incident’ off the coast of Marsa Alam had opted not to dive that day, preventing them from evacuating the boat quickly.

Investigators combing through the wreck today confirmed that the three victims were found below deck in their cabins after being unable to escape the intense fire.

Scuba Travel 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.

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

A video showed terrified passengers of the ship, which had 29 people on board at the time, jumping into the water to escape after a suspected electrical fault in the engine room.

A Scuba Travel spokesperson confirmed to MailOnline yesterday: ‘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.”

A total of 26 passengers were rescued, 12 were British and the remaining 14 were believed to be Egyptians. Local police said the rescued people had no injuries and are in good health.

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

The shocked group of survivors were offered trauma therapy today following their ordeal — and the devastating loss of the three people they grew close to during their week together.

The British have been transferred to a hotel in Hurghada, 300 kilometers north of the tragedy, while emergency travel documents are being arranged to return to the UK.

A spokesman for Scuba Travel, Pat Adamson, said: ‘They lost everything on the boat. People will search under the sea, but if nothing more appears, then that’s it.

“All their credit cards, money, personal belongings, toothbrush, car keys, credit cards, everything is gone – and their passports.

“Their cars are at Gatwick, they don’t have their house keys.”

The group had been together for a week long trip.

Mr Adamson added: “They have a trauma therapist with them now – even though they’ve only been together for a few days, it’s a small group and you get to know each other incredibly well.”

Local authorities are conducting a full investigation to determine the cause of the fire. The wrecked boat is pictured lying on its side with smoke still billowing out onto the shore as it cools.

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

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 on Sunday: “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.

The Red Sea Governorate said: “The initial investigation resulted in an electrical short circuit in the engine room, and the investigative authorities went to carry out 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 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.