Fire on a cruise ship on the Nile, 60 Italians rescued
The Farnesina and the Italian Embassy in Egypt monitor the situation of the cruise ship "Empress". The Italians are reportedly in good condition
It was supposed to be a cruise like so many others that ply the Nile each year to the world's most famous archaeological sites, when suddenly a fire that broke out on board for reasons not entirely clear threatened to turn it into a tragedy.
The adventure of the passengers of the 'Empress' ended well: 60 Italians were on board, immediately rescued and transferred by tour operators to other boats. The Farnesina reported that the Italian Embassy in Cairo immediately contacted the Egyptian authorities and its honorary consul in Luxor to check the condition of the Italians on board. At the moment, the Italians are in good condition and are being transferred to other ships or to the docks. As soon as possible, the Italian consul in Cairo will go there to continue to provide the maximum assistance and check the condition of the Italians in person, in constant liaison with the Embassy and Farnesina.
Also informed was Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, currently travelling in Africa, who followed the development of events from afar.
The Italians on board the Empress had purchased the 'package' from two different tour operators, Corsini Viaggi and Travco Tours. The first were immediately transferred to another ship, the Nile Crown, while the other group had to wait a few hours in Esna, 60 kilometres south of Luxor, for the arrival of another boat. Fears of instability in the Middle East have greatly reduced the flow of tourists from all over the world and in particular from Italy to the Nile and the shores of the Red Sea, but many still face a usually carefree trip to the beauty of ancient Egypt at prices that are competitive with other destinations.
Gli incidenti sono peraltro poco frequenti. Nel 2013 un battello urtò uno scoglio e affondò vicino ad Assuan con 112 persone a bordo, tutte egiziane, messi in salvo senza conseguenze dai soccorsi. Nel 2003 prese fuoco sul Nilo la nave da crociera ’Kempinski Ganna Cruise Ship’, mentre navigava da Luxor verso Assuan, con a bordo molti italiani. Tanta paura ma anche in quel caso si salvarono tutti i passeggeri. Nel 2004 un’altra brutta avventura per una quarantina di turisti italiani e spagnoli, sempre in crociera sulle acque del fiume. Sul battello che li stava trasportando da Assuan a Luxor si aprì una falla che li costrinse a interrompere il viaggio e attendere i soccorsi. Ma la tragedia più grave che si ricordi è quella avvenuta il 10 agosto del 1988, quando una tromba d’aria sollevò letteralmente una nave dal fiume causando la morte di una trentina di persone, fra cui molti italiani.
