Death toll rises to 35 in Nile boat collision
CAIRO— Search parties 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 said.
Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel- Ghaffar told The Associated Press that the search efforts continued Saturday.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah alSissi said he ordered a sum of 60,000 Egyptian pounds ($9,926 Canadian) 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 Saturday.
The collision late Wednesday night happened when a passenger boat travelling down the Nile near Cairo collided with a scow, causing the boat to capsize. The scow’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.
Nile River rides are among the favourite pastimes of the holidays, but many city dwellers also use the passenger boats for travel.