Egypt: Italian tourist killed as Nile cruise boats collide near Luxor

Egyptian prosecutors have launched an investigation into a collision between two floating hotels near the Esna Lock in Luxor that left an Italian tourist dead, authorities said on Monday.

In a statement, the General Authority for River Transport said the accident occurred at around 8:00 pm local time (0600 GMT) on Sunday as the floating hotel Opera was travelling from Aswan to Luxor.

About two kilometres after passing through the lock, the captain of the Opera was confronted with what the authority said was as a sudden and sharp manoeuvre by the vessel Porivage, which was sailing in the opposite direction from Luxor towards Aswan.

The statement said the Porivage violated international navigation rules by failing to give priority to the vessel travelling with the current, as its captain attempted to dock at the International Garden marina.

The collision caused significant damage to both boats, denting the bow of the Opera and completely destroying three cabins aboard the Porivage.

One female passenger on the Porivage, identified as an Italian tourist, was killed as a result of the impact, the authority said.

Following the incident, emergency services and technical teams were dispatched to the scene to secure the area and ensure that river traffic was not disrupted, amid efforts to keep tourist cruises operating between Luxor and Aswan.

The General Authority for River Transport said it had withdrawn and suspended the licence of the Porivage's captain, citing his responsibility for the crash and what it said was a serious breach of river navigation safety regulations.

The case has been referred in full to prosecution authorities to determine criminal and civil liability, according to the statement.

The authority also stressed the need for all river vessels to adhere strictly to approved communication and manoeuvring rules, particularly in narrow areas and near locks, to protect lives and tourist facilities along the Nile River.

Boat collisions in Egypt are relatively rare compared with overall traffic on the Nile and Red Sea.

However, they have occurred as a result of navigation errors or overcrowding involving ferries or tourist vessels.

Previous incidents include a 2015 collision between a party boat and a cargo ship near Cairo that killed 29 people, and a 2021 crash between two passenger ferries near Alexandria that left at least eight dead and dozens missing.