Egypt Bus Slides Off Ferry Into Nile; 17 Dead

An Egyptian security official says a bus fell off a ferry into the Nile River and that at least 17 people drowned in the accident. The official says the minibus was packed with 32 passengers, mostly mourners heading to a funeral across the river, when the accident took place early today in the southern province of Bani Suief.

The driver apparently forgot to set the emergency brake. Rescue workers pulled 10 survivors from the river, while five people are still missing. Egypt has frequent transportation accidents, mainly because of poor maintenance and the lack of regulations. A ferry sinking in 2006 killed more than 1,000 people. (More Egypt stories.)