A recreational submarine taking 45 tourists on an underwater cruise of coral reefs sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Hurghada, leaving six people dead.

Six Russians died on Thursday and 39 foreign tourists were rescued when a viewing submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the local governor's office said on Facebook, adding that no passengers or crew were still missing.

At least six Russian tourists, two of them children, died when an Egyptian commercial submarine carrying 50 people sank in the Red Sea near the resort city of Hurghada. The Red Sea Governorate said the submarine had 50 people on board, 45 tourists and five crew, Reuters reported.