Nile cruise ship moored off the bank of the river in Egypt's southern city of Luxor, March 7, 2020 (Photo: AFP)
The General Authority for River Transport (GART) stated that the incident occurred at approximately 8pm on Saturday, when the floating hotel Opera, travelling from Aswan to Luxor, collided with the cruise boat Borivage, heading in the opposite direction.
The authority said the Opera had passed the Esna lock by about two kilometres when the Borivage’s captain made a sudden manoeuvre in front of it, violating river navigation rules that give priority to vessels travelling with the current.
The collision damaged the bow of the Opera and destroyed three cabins on board the Borivage. One female passenger on the Borivage, an Italian national, was critically injured.
Medical sources said the tourist was taken in serious condition to Taiba Specialized Hospital in Esna and admitted to intensive care with severe injuries and heavy internal bleeding.
Despite emergency interventions and resuscitation attempts, her condition worsened, and she died after her heart stopped.
The River Transport Authority said it had suspended the Borivage captain’s licence and referred the incident to the Public Prosecution for investigation.
Security sources confirmed that the police received a report from the Waterway Police regarding the collision, which happened while the boats were navigating the Nile in the Esna district.
The police filed a report about the collision, and investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances.
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