CAIRO: At least 10 female farm workers died in Egypt when a minibus plunged off a river ferry and into the Nile northwest of Cairo on Tuesday, the health ministry said, AFP reported.
Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdelghaffar confirmed the death toll, and stated that the number of fatalities could rise as rescue and recovery efforts continued. The incident occurred in the village of Abu Ghalib, approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the capital.
Initial reports suggested that the driver of the ill-fated minibus had negligently released the handbrake, leading to the tragic plunge into the river. The driver, who attempted to flee the scene, was apprehended and subsequently arrested, as per state’s flagship Al-Ahram newspaper.
Al-Ahram further detailed that an altercation between the driver and one of the passengers preceded the driver’s abrupt departure from the vehicle. The minibus, carrying female farm workers, sank into the Nile.
Nine additional passengers sustained injuries in the incident and were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals for medical treatment, the health ministry confirmed in a statement. While the precise circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain under investigation, Egypt’s labor minister, Hassan Shehata, said that the minibus was ferrying “girls working on a farm,” although their ages were not specified.
In the wake of the devastating accident, Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity pledged to provide financial compensation to the families of the deceased and the injured, extending support to those affected by the calamity.
