At least 42 people were drowned and another 150 were rescued after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the Mediterranean off Egypt's north coast on Wednesday.
The vessel overturned off the port city of Rosetta, police and health officials said, with the total number of people on board not clear.
According to media reports, emergency workers have rescued 150 passengers.
A cabinet statement quoted Egypt's Prime Minister Sharif Ismail as ordering police to arrest the smugglers responsible for the attempt at human trafficking.
More than 10,000 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean for Europe since 2014, according to the United Nations.