Pakistani drowns as Nile pleasure boat sinks in Cairo

CAIRO: A Pakistani drowned and three others went missing on Wednesday after a pleasure boat sank on the Nile in Cairo, an Egyptian security official said.

Six other Pakistani passengers were rescued after the boat hit a bridge late on Tuesday as Muslims prepared to celebrate the Eidul Fitr festival that marks the end of Ramazan, General Hamed al-Oqaili told AFP.

Emergency teams recovered the body of the drowned man. They were continuing to search the waters for the three missing passengers - a woman and her two children.



Accidents are common on the Nile, which is used by many cargo vessels and ferries as well as pleasure boats.

Earlier this year, 15 people drowned when an unlicensed ferry sank.

Last year, 40 people died when a pleasure boat collided with a cargo vessel.