Nile boat tragedy: 19 drown as two boats collide on Nile near Cairo

Mangalore Today News Network

Cairo , July 23, 2015: At least 19 people have drowned and six others injured after a ferry collided with a cargo boat and capsized in the Nile River in Egypt, officials said.

 

The collision happened near in Waraq area in Giza late on Wednesday. The boat was carrying at least 30 passengers, said Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the spokesman of the Egyptian health ministry. The spokesman also said 16 ambulances and two rescue boats have been dispatched to the site and the search for the missing ones is still underway, Xinhua news agency reported.

Following the collision, the passenger boat sustained damages, causing it to sank in the river. Six people have been rescued and the captain of the cargo boat has been arrested, the ministry said.

At least 18 divers and eight rescue boats were searching for survivors as it was estimated that around 25 people were on board the ferry when it met with the accident, it added.

Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that rescue boats and divers are working to search for the missing ones. However, the poor illumination and crowded river bank made the rescue work more difficult.

 

Courtesy: Indiatoday