At least 15 people were killed when an unlicensed Egyptian ferry carrying unknown number of people capsized in world's largest river Nile near here, officials said today.
The ferryboat sank last night as it was crossing between the two villages Kafr El-Sheikh's Sendion and Beheira's Derot, Kafr el-Sheikh governor El-Sayed Nasr said in a statement.
Rescue teams have recovered 15 bodies and are currently searching for more possible victims.
The reason of the accident is under investigation, but excess weight on board or bad weather conditions could be the possible reasons, Nasr said.
Egypt witnessed heavy rains and cold temperatures yesterday that led to several traffic accidents in different cities.
As many as 36 people had drowned in Nile, world's largest river at 6,853 km, last year when a party boat collided with a cargo ship.
The government had promised new disciplinary measures to make Nile safer for transportation in the wake of the accident.
