Arrests in Egyptian ferry collision

Police say no one died in Friday’s accident, allaying initial fears of scores missing.

egypt boat disaster
Rescue teams searched the Nile overnight, but police later said no one had died in the collision [AFP]

They said no bodies had been recovered and there had been no missing persons reports filed, either.

Investigation launched

Reports remained unclear as to what caused the collision, and police said they have opened an investigation.

However, Mohammed Sharawi, the provincial governor, told Egypt’s official news agency that one of the boats capsized.

Egypt has frequent transportation accidents, mainly because of poor infrastructure.

In February 2006, a ferry in the Red Sea caught fire and sank en route to Egypt from Saudi Arabia, killing 1,034 of the 1,400 people on board.

An Egyptian appeals court in March this year found the owner of the ferry guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to seven years in jail.

Mohamed Mansour, the transport minister, resigned in October over a train crash south of Cairo which killed 18 people.

Source: News Agencies