Ferry sinks in the Nile in Egypt, killing at least 10 people

People take a boat trip along the Nile river in the Egyptian city of Aswan, on September 8, 2023. AFP FILE PHOTO

CAIRO — A ferry carrying day laborers sank in the Nile just outside the Egyptian capital, killing at least 10 of the 15 people on board, authorities said Monday.

The five who survived were transported to a hospital and later discharged, the Ministry of Manpower said in a statement. The cause of the sinking was not made immediately clear.

The ministry allocated compensation of 200,000 Egyptian pounds (around $6,466) to each family of the deceased and 20,000 ($646) to each of the five injured.

READ: Cairo’s floating heritage risks being towed away by grand projects

The laborers were on their way to work at a local construction firm. It took rescue teams hours to recover the bodies, according to local media which aired live-stream videos on social media platforms showing divers searching for the dead as villagers waited on the Nile banks.

The incident took place in the town of Monshat el-Kanater in Giza, which is one of three provinces forming Greater Cairo.

Many Egyptians make their way using boats on a daily basis, especially in Upper Egypt and the Nile Delta. Sailing along the Nile is also a favorite pastime during holidays in the Arab world’s most populous country.

READ: Ethiopia starts electricity production at Nile mega-dam

Ferry, railway and road accidents are common in Egypt mainly because of poor maintenance and the lack of regulations.

In 2022, two people died and eight went missing after a small truck they were riding in slid off a ferry and plunged into the Nile. And in 2015, 35 people died in a collision between a passenger boat and a scow on the Nile.