At least 14 dead as fresh ferry disaster hits Egypt

At least 14 people drowned when an unlicensed ferry capsized in Egypt's Nile river north of Cairo overnight, the official MENA news agency reported on Friday.

Rescue teams have recovered 14 bodies and were searching for survivors in the Kafr al-Sheikh province north of Cairo, the agency reported, adding that 17 people were believed to have been on board.

The provincial governor al-Sayed Nasr told AFP that the boat, which was not licensed to work as a ferry, had been too small to accommodate the passengers.

The minister for social affairs, Ghada Wali, promised on Friday to pay 10,000 Egyptian pounds [$1,280] to the family of each person killed in the disaster.

However, the government has sought to distance itself from the incident, with the transport minister saying on Friday that the boat that sank was a private vessel with no connection to the ministry.

The accident came months after at least 36 Egyptians were killed when a party boat collided with a cargo ship in the Nile.

Following that accident in July, the government pledged to "achieve discipline" on the waterway.

It banned the use of loud speakers on vessels hired for private ceremonies and on ferries transporting people. The cabinet also decided not to build new berths along the river.

The Nile, which runs the length of Egypt, is dotted with cargo ships, party boats and fishing vessels.