At least 10 female farm workers tragically lost their lives on Tuesday when a minibus plunged off a river ferry and into the Nile River northwest of Cairo.
The Egyptian Health Ministry confirmed the fatalities and warned the death toll could rise.
According to the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, the driver of the minibus, who allegedly argued with a passenger beforehand, left the vehicle after releasing the handbrake.
He was later arrested while attempting to flee the scene.
The incident occurred in the village of Abu Ghalib, roughly 50 kilometers northwest of the capital.
Rescue efforts led to the hospitalization of nine additional passengers with injuries sustained in the accident.
While Egypt’s Labor Minister confirmed the passengers were female farm workers, their exact ages remain unclear.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity pledged financial aid for the families of both the deceased and injured.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, with the public prosecutor ordering a technical inspection of the submerged minibus.
This incident highlights the dangers associated with commuter transportation in rural Egyptian regions, particularly along the Nile, where overloaded ferries are a common sight for transporting farmworkers.
