At least 16 female farm workers died in Egypt when a minibus plunged off a river ferry and into the Nile northwest of Cairo on Tuesday, as reported by international media quoting country’s health ministry on Wednesday.
The victims, ranging in age from 15 to 40, were female workers. Egyptian reports confirm the death toll has reached at least 16, though earlier official statements reported a lower number of casualties.
Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, a spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Health, had initially told AFP that the number of deaths was ten and could rise.
According to Al-Ahram newspaper, the incident occurred while the microbus was waiting on a ferry. A verbal altercation between an individual and the bus driver led the driver to exit the vehicle without securing the brakes, causing the bus to roll into the water.
The Public Prosecution has ordered an engineering committee to inspect the vehicle and determine the exact causes of the accident.
