Prosecutors to investigate fire on Hurghada safari boat United
Red Sea security has referred the fire to the public prosecutor. The vessel was moored off Beach 4 with no passengers aboard, its hull was reported burned out, and the cause is not yet established.
7 November 2026
Security authorities in the Red Sea Governorate have notified the public prosecutor of the fire that broke out on the tourist boat United off the Hurghada corniche on Saturday, so that investigators can establish how it started and how much damage it caused.
The boat was moored and carried no passengers when the fire began, according to preliminary information, and it was in service for marine safari and diving trips.
Loud bangs heard during the fire are thought to have come from diving cylinders bursting in the heat.
Civil protection crews sent fire engines and ambulances to the shore and worked to keep the flames from reaching neighbouring boats and buildings. No injuries were reported.
Reports differed on the exact spot, placing the boat off Beach 4 or in the water beside Mirette beach on the same corniche.
An electrical short in the engine room was reported as the cause, with wind spreading the flames until the hull burned out. A witness quoted by Shorouk said the crew tried to smother sparks from a short circuit and could not contain them. Prosecutors have yet to establish whether a technical fault, a short circuit or another cause started the fire, and are due to hear the boat's operators and witnesses.
Red Sea governor Walid Al-Barqi told Al-Watan that safety requirements inside tourist facilities and on boats must be observed, and emergencies dealt with quickly, to protect lives and property.