Egyptian authorities have confirmed that one passenger—an Italian tourist—died from injuries sustained in a collision between two cruise vessels on the Nile. The captain of one of the ships has had his license suspended, and the case has been referred to prosecutors as part of an investigation into alleged navigation rule violations.
According to the General Authority for River Transport, the incident occurred on Sunday evening, 21 December, at around 8:00 p.m. local time, near Esna Lock, south of Luxor. Officials say the cruise ship Royal Beau Rivage made a sudden maneuver while approaching the berth, triggering a collision with the vessel Opera.
Royal Beau Rivage, considered one of the Nile’s luxury river cruise ships, has 71 cabins and can accommodate more than 140 passengers. The vessel is about 72 meters (236 feet) long and entered service in September 2022. At the time of the accident, it was carrying a group of roughly 80 Italian tourists.
The second vessel, Opera (built in 2009 and reportedly capable of carrying up to 199 passengers), sustained damage to its bow. On Royal Beau Rivage, three of the four forward cabins were severely damaged. A 47-year-old Italian woman staying in one of those cabins suffered multiple injuries, was rushed to an Egyptian hospital, and later died from her wounds.
Authorities reported that Opera had passed through the lock while traveling from Aswan to Luxor. The collision with Royal Beau Rivage, which was traveling from Luxor to Aswan, occurred about 1.2 miles from the lock.
Some reports suggested that people may have ended up in the river after the impact. Officials were seen in the area, but the Italian ambassador said there were no additional reports of serious injuries. River traffic resumed on Monday.
River transport authorities emphasized that navigation rules on the Nile give priority to vessels moving with the current. They stated that Royal Beau Rivage violated these rules, announced the suspension of the captain’s license, and confirmed that the matter had been forwarded to the Public Prosecutor for further investigation.
