At least 4 tourists dead in submarine accident in Egypt: Officials

LONDON -- At least four people are dead in a submarine accident that occurred while it was carrying crew members and 45 Russian tourists in Egypt, officials said.

Russias embassy in Egypt confirmed in a statement obtained by ABC News that there was an accident on Thursday morning involving a submarine carrying crew members and 45 tourists -- all Russian citizens -- in the Red Sea less than a mile off the coast of Hurghada, Egypt.

At least four of those aboard the submarine were killed in the incident, the Russian embassy said.

Doctors in the emergency department at the Royal Hospital Hurghada confirmed to ABC News that they received five patients from a submarine accident on Thursday.

The circumstances remain unclear, including whether the submarine was submerged at the time and the numbers of those who have been injured in the incident.

It is also currently not known how many people were on board the submarine at the time of the accident or what the cause might have been.

Hurghada is a popular tourist destination for beachgoers along the Red Sea and is well known for its scuba diving and snorkeling.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News' Morgan Winsor and Nasser Atta contributed to this report.