A tourist cruise ship on the River Nile, the Iberotel Crown Empress caught massive fire on Tuesday evening, October 28, prompting the emergency evacuation of more than 200 tourists.
The incident occurred during the first day of a 12-day voyage between the popular tourist destination of Luxor and Edfu.
As mentioned in the preliminary reports, the fire first started in the gallery of the ship around 6:15 p.m. (local time).
In no time, the fire started throughout the vessel’s hull, destroying cabins and sending thick smoke into the air.
The ship’s crew timely took emergency measures and activated fire alarms.
All tourists were then directed to leave the lower decks for safety and were shifted to the upper deck.
While talking to VRT News, one terrified passenger described the harrowing scene stating, “It was pure chaos. People didn’t know what to do.”
“Some passengers were able to reach safety via the gangway, others couldn’t even leave their cabins and were eventually rescued by two small boats,” he added.
The ship was immediately docked at nearby anchorage in the vicinity of Esna to facilitate the rescue.
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported yet. A crew member shared that all passengers remained cooperative despite being frightened.
A detailed investigation has been launched by the Public Prosecution office to examine the cause of fire.