Egypt: 16 girls, women die after microbus slides off ferry, plunges into the Nile

At least 16 girls and women died in western Cairo yesterday, after a microbus they were in fell into the Nile River, according to media reports.

Reports indicate that the victims include a group of female workers between the ages of 15 and 40.

Egyptian reports confirm that the death toll from the accident has risen to at least 16, while the officially announced toll was lower.

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A minibus with 20 passengers on board fell into the Nile in Egypt. pic.twitter.com/0uydE9PRM7

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Earlier, the spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Health, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, was quoted by AFP as saying: “The number of deaths has reached ten, and may increase.”

Al-Ahram newspaper reported that while the microbus was waiting on the ferry, a “verbal altercation” broke out between an individual and the bus driver, causing him to leave the vehicle without ensuring the brakes were on, “leading the bus to fall into the water as he fled”.

According to the state-run paper, the Public Prosecution ordered the “appointment of an engineering committee to inspect the vehicle and determine all the causes” that led to the accident.

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