21 Dead as Cargo Ship Hits Party Boat North of Cairo
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Friday, July 24, 2015
Egypt's health ministry said that the death toll from a collision of a cargo ship with a boat carrying people celebrating an engagement, on the Nile the night before has risen to 21, as divers searched for missing passengers.
There were more than 35 people attending a party on board the passenger boat when it capsized overnight after being hit by a barge near Giza, across the river from the capital, Cairo.
The captain of the cargo boat and his assistants were arrested following the accident late Wednesday in the Warraq district north of Cairo, Egyptian police authorities said.
Six survivors were plucked from the river but an unknown number were still missing, the police general said. At least two children drowned, according to medical and security sources.
The local al-Ahram newspaper reported that victims' relatives had gathered near a police station in the district of al-Waraq, where the crash happened, chanting anti-government slogans and demanding action.
The Nile, which runs along the length of Egypt, is dotted with cargo ships, party boats and fishing vessels. Nile rides are among favorite pastimes during the holidays but many city dwellers also use the passenger boats for travel along the Nile.