Three British tourists missing since Sunday after a fire on a diving boat in the Red Sea off Egypt have been declared dead, a UK tour operator said.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has contacted the families of the three diving enthusiasts, who were taking part in a week-long trip north of the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam.
Their bodies have not yet been found. But they are thought to have died in the fire as they had decided to stay aboard while their companions went diving.
On Sunday morning, a diving boat named the Hurricane issued a distress signal after a fire broke out due to an electrical problem in its engine room, police officials said.
At the time the fire started, 12 of 15 divers were having a dive briefing, Scuba Travel said in a statement.
The three divers who died were not with the main group as they had decided not to participate in the dive that day.
“It is with great regret that we, as tour operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests, who had not participated in the dive briefing, early on the morning of June 11, perished in the tragic incident,” the company said.
“Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time.”
The 12 tourists who were rescued were able to be moved immediately aboard another diving vessel in the area, the holiday company said.
As the blaze worsened, the 14 crew members, including the captain and two dive guides also abandoned the burning Hurricane after trying and failing to find the missing three tourists, Scuba Travel said.
The vessel, which is still smouldering, is currently being towed to a port to undergo repairs.
Though Scuba Travel confirmed that an official investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire, the Egyptian government is yet to publicly comment on the tourists’ death.
A tourism ministry official declined to comment on the incident when The National reached out for comment.
The fire aboard the Hurricane comes a week after another boat capsized, also near Marsa Alam. All passengers and crew were rescued.
It also comes three days after a shark attack off the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada killed a 23-year-old Russian man and led to the closure for 48 hours of a 60-km stretch of coastline between the resort of El Gouna and Soma Bay to the south.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km