18 die in Nile boat accident

Associated Press

CAIRO

Egypt’s health ministry said Thursday the death toll from a collision of two boats on the Nile the night before has risen to 18, after two more bodies were retrieved from the river.

Health ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar told The Associated Press the search for the victims continued into Thursday as families of missing passengers were still looking for their loved ones.

Abdel-Ghaffar said no fewer than seven children were among those who drowned, including a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old. He said it was not clear how many passengers were on the boat when it was hit by a scow late Wednesday near Cairo.

The state-owned Al-Ahram online newspaper said the families of the missing had blocked a main road in Warraq, the district where the boat sunk, briefly clashing with security forces, which finally broke up the protest.

There were no reports of casualties.