At least nine Egyptian women and children died on Tuesday when a small bus carrying about two dozen people slid off a ferry and plunged into the Nile River just outside Cairo, according to health authorities.
The accident occurred in Monshat el-Kanater, a town in Giza province, which is part of Greater Cairo. The Health Ministry reported that nine other passengers were injured. Six of the injured were treated at the site, while three others were transferred to hospitals. The ministry did not provide details on the severity of their injuries.
A list obtained by The Associated Press revealed that four of the nine deceased were minors. Giza provincial Governor Ahmed Rashed stated that the bus had been retrieved from the river and that rescue efforts were ongoing as of midday Tuesday. The cause of the accident remains unclear.
The state-owned Akhbar daily reported that about two dozen passengers, mostly women, were in the vehicle heading to work when the accident occurred. Security forces have detained the driver of the vehicle.
Ferry, railway, and road accidents are common in Egypt, primarily due to poor maintenance and lack of regulations. In a similar incident in February, a ferry carrying day laborers sank in the Nile in Giza, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 of the 15 people on board.
