45 Missing After Safari Boat Sinks near Egypt's Marsa Alam

"Intensive efforts are underway in search for the missing," the statement said, Xinhua reported.

The control center in the Red Sea province received a distress signal from the boat named "Sea Story" around 5:30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) on Monday from a member of the boat crew, it said.

The boat that was on a diving trip left Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Nov. 24 and was scheduled to return to Hurghada Marina on Nov. 29, the statement added.