Five bodies were fished out of the Borlos Lake in the Kafr el-Sheikh governorate. They were trying to reach Italy via the Mediterranean Sea, police said.
The incident was reported after some residents saw bodies floating and informed the police following which a rescue team along with five ambulances rushed to the spot.
A manhunt has been initiated to nab the broker who was helping the people flee Egypt illegally.
Scores of Egyptians, in search of better work opportunities, have been caught trying to migrate to Italy over the past few years.