Six tourists died on Thursday when a tourist submarine sank off the resort of Hurghada on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, state media reported.

The website of the state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper said the deceased were all foreigners, adding that 19 others were injured.

Investigations were underway to determine what caused the accident, according to the newspaper, which said the injured were transported to nearby hospitals along with the bodies of the deceased.

Hurghada, a bustling tourist city some 460 kilometres southeast of the Egyptian capital Cairo, is a major destination for visitors to Egypt.

The Red Sea coral reefs and islands off Egypt’s eastern coast are major draws, contributing to the country’s vital tourism sector which employs two million people and generates more than 10 percent of GDP.

While dozens of tourist boats sail through the coastal area daily for snorkelling and diving activities, the website of Sindbad Submarines, the vessel owner according to Akhbar Al-Youm, says the company deploys the region’s “only real” recreational submarine.