Minibus plunges into the Nile after falling off a ferry.
A tragic incident occurred in Egypt where at least ten female harvesters, including nine minors, lost their lives in a ferry accident. The Ministry of Health revealed that a minibus fell off a ferry into the Nile river, north of Cairo's capital on Tuesday. Hossam Abdelghaffar, the Ministry's spokesperson, mentioned that the number of fatalities could increase.
As reported by the newspaper "Al-Ahram," the driver of the bus accidentally released its handbrake while on the ferry. He attempted to escape but got apprehended. Two of the victims, both girls who had worked at an "export-oriented fruit plantation," were only 13 years old, as per the publication's list. There was only one adult victim, a 40-year-old woman, among the dead.
This accident took place in the Abu Ghalib village, around 50 kilometers northwest of Cairo. The villagers used small wooden boats to transport rescue workers to the scene and helped lift the minibus from the water using a crane.
The injuries sustained by nine individuals, with most of them being minors, led them to be admitted to nearby hospitals. Five individuals who were also injured were still being searched for in the evening.
The Egyptian government stated that approximately 1.3 million children are employed in the country, with the majority of them engaged in unpaid work in family-run businesses. The International Labor Organization (ILO) further corroborates this claim.
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Despite the efforts to retrieve the missing individuals, the search was unsuccessful by the end of the day. The minibus, now submerged in the Nile, poses a challenge for any rescue attempts. In light of this incident, calls for stricter safety measures on ferries carrying vehicles have been amplified in Egypt.
Source: www.ntv.de
