The Egyptian Public Prosecution issued a statement today, Wednesday, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident of the "Abu Ghalib" ferry accident in Giza Governorate. The Public Prosecution explained that on the morning of Tuesday, May 21, it was notified of the fall of a microbus carrying twenty-five girls from a ferry transporting vehicles across the Nile River in the Abu Ghalib area, which led to injuries and fatalities among them.
The statement confirmed that eleven girls drowned, whose bodies were recovered by civil defense forces, and five are still missing while seven survived, in addition to two injuries.
Investigations revealed that the incident occurred as the ferry reached its destination; it shook upon hitting its docking point and the bus driver failed to apply the brakes, allowing the bus to roll backward.
The Public Prosecution's statement further noted that the operator of the ferry neglected to close its rear iron door, which ensures that cargo remains on board, resulting in the bus falling into the water.
Investigations also showed that the ferry's operating license expired last August. Consequently, the Public Prosecution ordered the detention of the bus and ferry drivers and took samples from them to check for substance abuse.
The Public Prosecution tasked the civil defense forces with continuing the search for the missing girls and ordered the seizure of the bus. A three-member committee was formed to inspect the ferry and evaluate its technical functionality, operational procedures, availability of rescue and safety equipment, number of crew members, their roles, and to identify any individuals responsible for the incident, in addition to inspecting the bus to assess its technical safety.
