The death toll from a crash along the Nile between a small ‘party’ boat and a cargo ship has risen to 38, announced Egypt’s Ministry of Health.
Eleven bodies of passengers were recovered early Friday, according to the Health Ministry. Another nine were recovered later on Friday.
The Health Ministry meanwhile added that two children were among those killed. The youngest child killed is reported to have been just one-year-old, reported Al-Ahram.
A cargo ship had collided with the ferryboat in Warraq (Giza), reported the Ministry of Interior.
The captain of the cargo ship and his assistant have been detained pending investigations. According to early investigations, the ship was not meant to travel at night.
According to AFP, the family and friends of a young couple had hired the boat to celebrate their recent engagement. However, it is unclear whether the young couple were among those killed.
On Thursday, family members and locals staged a protest following the tragedy. Protesters cut off roads in Warraq and briefly clashed with security forces, according to Al-Ahram.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health, meanwhile, stated that rescue operations would continue and that the death toll is expected to rise.
Comments (3)
[…] Transportation accidents recur frequently in Egypt. In July, around 40 people died in a sinking boat after it crashed with a heavy-cargo ship in the Nile river. […]
[…] comes days after a deadly collision occurred in the Nile, leaving at least 38 people dead, in an accident which has attracted widespread public […]