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CatastropheEgypt

Egyptian ferry sinks in Nile, at least 10 people dead

February 27, 2024

The ferry carrying daily wage laborers sank in the River Nile near Cairo. Rescue teams searched for hours to recover the bodies. The five who survived the accident were taken to hospital before later being discharged.

https://p.dw.com/p/4cv40
Villagers gather off the shore of the river Nile
The recovery of the bodies of the deceased from the river took hours Image: Mahmoud Elkhwas/dpa/picture alliance

A ferry carrying 15 people sank in the Nile river near Cairo on Sunday, killing at least 10 of them, authorities said Monday.

All the passengers on board were day laborers who were on their way to work at a local construction company.

Search operation lasted hours

Rescue teams had to search for hours to recover bodies, according to local media.

The rescue operation was live-streamed on social media as the villagers stood on the banks of Nile and watched.

The five who survived the accident were taken to hospital and were later discharged, the Ministry of Manpower said in a statement.

People transfer the body of a victim into an ambulance
The government of Egypt has announced compensation packages for the families of the deceased and those who were injuredImage: Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua/picture alliance

Egypt's Labor Ministry has announced a compensation of 200,000 Egyptian pounds ($6,462, €5,957) to each of the family of the deceased and 20,000 pounds to

each of the five injured.

While local media reported that the cause of the accident was overcrowding on the boat, there has been no immediate official confirmation.

Riverway accidents are quite frequent in Egypt mainly due to lack of implementation of safety regulations.

mfi/jsi (AP, dpa)