At least 18 people were killed late Thursday when a ferry boat sank in the river Nile, Egyptian state television reported on Friday.The accident happened in the Kafr el-Sheikh province, around 140 kilometres north of Cairo.Kafr el-Sheikh Governor el-Sayed Nasr said the ferry was transferring people between two towns in Kafr el-Sheikh and Beheira governorates when the accident occurred.The boat was carrying 22 people, official news agency MENA reported.Rescue teams are still searching for more possible victims, the report added.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.However Nasr said investigations would reveal whether the boat sank because of excessive weight on board or because of bad weather conditions.In July, at least 31 people died in a Nile boat crash near Cairo.Lack of maintenance and safety standards, violations of the drivers and negligence of traffic laws are highly blamed for common public accidents in Egypt.