Six people died and nine others were injured after a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, two municipal officials said Thursday. They were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the Red Sea governorate. The submarine, which was sailing off one of the beaches in the tourist promenade area, had carried 45 tourists of various nationalities.

It was not immediately clear what caused the submarine to sink.

In November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, Egyptian officials said. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued.

Tourism is an important sector of Egypt’s economy but many tourist companies have stopped or limited traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.

(AP)