Egyptian rescuers found four bodies and five survivors on Tuesday during a Red Sea search operation after a tourist boat carrying 44 people sank on Monday.q

A total of 33 people have been rescued so far but seven were still missing as of Tuesday evening.

The victims’ identities have not yet been disclosed by authorities. The BBC understands two of the missing are British nationals.

The four-deck modern vessel had been carrying 31 passengers and 13 crew when it is understood to have been hit by a large wave near Marsa Alam, causing it to capsize.

The boat sent distress calls at 05:30 local time (03:30 GMT), local authorities said.

The vessel sank within five to seven minutes, according to Red Sea governor Maj-Gen Amr Hanafi. He said some people had been unable to escape from their cabins.

A total of 28 people were rescued by military personnel and a passing tourist boat in the hours after the vessel capsized.

The governor had earlier said other survivors were found in the Wadi el-Gemal area, south of Marsa Alam.

The 44m (144ft) Sea Story yacht had departed a port near Marsa Alam on Sunday for a five-day diving trip that was supposed to finish further north at the town of Hurghada.

It is believed to have been hit by rough winds overnight on Sunday. The Egyptian Meteorological Authority warned of high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity on Sunday and Monday.

Wind speeds were between 37-43 mph (60-70 kmph) and wave heights were three to four metres (10-13ft) high.

According to the local council in Marsa Alam, the crew of the Sea Story are Egyptian while the tourists on board were from Belgium, Britain, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the US.

Among the missing are two Polish tourists and one from Finland, according to those nations’ foreign ministries.

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said they were providing “support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt”.

The Chinese embassy in Egypt said two of its nationals were “in good health” after being rescued.