Egyptian Boat Crash Death Toll rises as more Bodies found in Nile

Search parties have retrieved four more bodies from the Nile river after a boat collision earlier this week, bringing the death toll to 35, Egypt’s health ministry has said.

Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said on Saturday that search efforts are continuing.

Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, said he ordered a sum of 60,000 Egyptian pounds (£4,940) to be paid to each family of the deceased and called for measures to be taken to prevent future collisions. Prime minister Ibrahim Mahlab has formed a committee to review legislation related to Nile river management.

Egypt also replaced the head of the River Transport Authority in response to the collision, state media reported on Saturday.

The collision late on Wednesday night happened when a passenger boat travelling down the Nile near Cairo collided with a cargo boat, causing the passenger boat to capsize. The cargo boat’s captain and his assistant have been detained on suspicion of manslaughter.

Nile traffic has been heavy, especially near Cairo, as Egyptians celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holiday following the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Source: The Guardian