More than 200 people were evacuated from a cruise ship after it caught fire while transiting the Nile River on Wednesday, October 29.
The Egyptian-operated cruise ship Iberotel Crown Empress was underway between Luxor and Edfu on the third day of a 12-day itinerary when the blaze ignited on board at around 18:15 local time on Wednesday.
A Belgian passenger later told Belgian news outlet VRT NWS that people on other nearby boats had shone their torches onto the ship's cabins. When the passengers opened their windows, they saw a thick plume of smoke rising from one of the decks.
The ship then headed for a nearby quay. However, the flames made it impossible for the passengers to be evacuated by gangway from the main deck, thus necessitating evacuation via one of the upper decks.
Some of the passengers who were unable to reach the upper deck gangway were eventually rescued by the crews of two Good Samaritan boats that had arrived in the area to render assistance.
There have been no serious injuries reported among those who were on board the ship.
Initial reports stated that the fire was caused by an electrical short in the galley and quickly spread to the other decks, leaving the ship completely gutted, according to eyewitnesses.
Local prosecutors have begun investigating the incident.
Iberotel Crown Empress belongs to a fleet of Nile cruise ships owned by Egyptian hotel operator Iberotel.
