At least three dead in Egypt after boat sinks in Nile

DPA
·2 min read
Fishermen recover a body from the river Nile in Monsha'et El Kanater, after a ferry boat carrying labourers sunk leaving at least three people dead. Search and rescue efforts are under way for missing people in the accident, Egyptian media reported. The small boat was carrying eight to 10 workers when it sank, state-owned newspaper al-Ahram reported online. Mahmoud Elkhwas/dpa

A ferry boat carrying labourers on Sunday sank in the river Nile near Cairo, leaving at least three dead, the Egyptian Health Ministry said.

Four others were injured when the boat sank off Giza, a twin city of Cairo, the ministry added in a statement.

Search and rescue efforts are under way for missing people in the accident, Egyptian media reported. The small boat was carrying eight to 10 workers when it sank, state-owned newspaper al-Ahram reported online.

The cause of the accident is not clear yet. However privately owned news website Cairo24 quoted a witness as saying that there were 13 people aboard the boat, although its capacity was only four.

The overcrowding resulted in the boat capsizing, according to the witness. Transport accidents are not uncommon in Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, with around 105 million people. They are often blamed on a lack of safety standards.

Villagers watch as fishermen recover a body from the river Nile in Monsha'et El Kanater, after a ferry boat carrying labourers sunk leaving at least three people dead. Search and rescue efforts are under way for missing people in the accident, Egyptian media reported. The small boat was carrying eight to 10 workers when it sank, state-owned newspaper al-Ahram reported online. Mahmoud Elkhwas/dpa
Villagers watch as fishermen search for bodies and survivor in the river Nile in Monsha'et El Kanater, after a ferry boat carrying labourers sunk leaving at least three people dead. Search and rescue efforts are under way for missing people in the accident, Egyptian media reported. The small boat was carrying eight to 10 workers when it sank, state-owned newspaper al-Ahram reported online. Mahmoud Elkhwas/dpa
Fishermen search for survivors in the river Nile in Monsha'et El Kanater, after a ferry boat carrying labourers sunk leaving at least three people dead. Search and rescue efforts are under way for missing people in the accident, Egyptian media reported. The small boat was carrying eight to 10 workers when it sank, state-owned newspaper al-Ahram reported online. Mahmoud Elkhwas/dpa
Villagers gather off the shore of the river Nile in Monsha'et El Kanater, after a ferry boat carrying labourers sunk leaving at least three people dead. Search and rescue efforts are under way for missing people in the accident, Egyptian media reported. The small boat was carrying eight to 10 workers when it sank, state-owned newspaper al-Ahram reported online. Mahmoud Elkhwas/dpa