Egypt raises death toll from Nile boat collision to 29

Cairo: Egypt's health ministry says 11 more bodies have been retrieved from the Nile River, bringing the death toll from this week's boat collision to 29.

Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar told The Associated Press that the search efforts continued on Friday.

The collision late Wednesday night happened when a passenger boat traveling down the Nile near Cairo collided with a scow, causing the boat to capsize. The scow's captain and his assistant have been detained and accused of manslaughter.

Nile traffic has been heavy, especially near Cairo, as Egyptians celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holiday following the holy month of Ramadan.

Nile rides are among favorite pastimes during the holidays but many city dwellers also use the passenger boats for travel along the Nile.