Six students died and 24 others were injured during a school trip to Abu Talat Beach in Alexandria, Egypt on Friday, August 23, 2025. The incident occurred when students from an aviation hospitality academy encountered dangerous water conditions while visiting the Mediterranean coastline.
Emergency services dispatched 16 ambulances to the scene after receiving reports that students were struggling in the water. Despite immediate rescue efforts, six students were pronounced dead at the beach. Three additional students received treatment at the scene, while 21 others were transported to nearby hospitals for medical care.
The injured students were divided between two medical facilities: 13 were taken to Agami Specialized Hospital and eight to Al-Amreya General Hospital. All hospitalized students were being treated for drowning-related asphyxia and remained under the care of specialized medical teams.
According to local reports, the incident began when a female student left the group activity on shore and entered the water alone. When she began drowning, lifeguards and rescue teams rushed to assist her. However, more than 100 other students attempted to enter the sea to help their classmate, and many were caught in powerful waves, leading to multiple drownings and injuries.
Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, indicated that he was closely monitoring the situation and that emergency treatment was being provided to all affected students. The minister confirmed that families affected by the tragedy would receive the ministry’s full support.
Following the drowning incident, Alexandria officials ordered the immediate closure of Abu Talat Beach and issued red-flag warnings throughout the area. These warnings indicate hazardous sea conditions and prohibit swimming due to dangerous wave conditions and strong currents. The warnings remained in effect days after the incident, with authorities reporting that waves continued to be dangerously high.
Five of the six victims have been identified as 16-year-old students: Habeeba El-Sayed, Nour Mamdouh, Salma Essam, Fares Yasser, and Wessa Sawiris. The sixth student who died has not been publicly identified.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population renewed its call for the public to follow beach safety guidelines, particularly during group outings. The ministry emphasized that prevention remains the most effective way to save lives and urged adherence to safety regulations and beach warnings.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident to determine exactly what happened and whether proper safety measures were in place during the school trip. The investigation aims to examine all circumstances surrounding the drowning and evaluate existing safety protocols.
Drowning incidents in Egypt typically increase during summer months, particularly along the Mediterranean coast where rougher sea conditions create heightened dangers for swimmers. The country’s extensive coastline along both the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea attracts millions of tourists annually, making water safety a critical concern for authorities.
According to the World Health Organization, children face particularly high risks of drowning due to underdeveloped risk assessment abilities and lack of swimming and water safety skills. The organization noted that children under age five account for nearly a quarter of all drowning deaths worldwide, making drowning the fourth leading cause of death for children ages one to four and the third leading cause for children ages five to 14.
The WHO reported that children and young adults aged zero to 29 account for over half of all drowning deaths globally. In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes Egypt, drowning rates among children ages zero to four are highest at 16.8 deaths per 100,000 population.
Egypt’s tourism industry, which is heavily reliant on coastal attractions and water activities, faces ongoing scrutiny regarding safety measures. The Ministry of Health stated it “urges the public to adhere to safety guidelines on beaches” following the Alexandria incident.