The prosecutor general for North Damanhur, in the governorate of Beheira, has ordered the detention of four crew members of a boat believed to have been involved in a human-trafficking disaster in which several hundred illegal migrants lost their lives on Wednesday.
The crew from a boat named "Mawkeb al-Rasul" are susepcted of involvement in the disaster and will be held for at least four days pending investigations.
Egyptian security forces and border guards have recovered at least 43 dead bodies from the Mediterranean so far after the sinking of a boat carrying around 600 illegal migrants on their journey to Europe from Beheira governorate.
The governorate was in a state of tension on Wednesday after the boat sank with hundreds of migrants from several nations, including Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, and Syria.
Rescue workers have saved 154 people from drowning in the incident, meaning about 400 could still be missing, according to Reuters.
According to officials, 161 survivors have now been released by security forces.
However, dozens more dead bodies have been recovered, and the families of about 40 drowned Egyptians attended Rashid General Hospital where the bodies were taken.
Meanwhile, security forces were deployed at Rashid police station as families gathered to demand information on relatives who may have drowned in the incident. They requested more information and demanded that the authorities recover all dead bodies before they are washed out to sea.
Security forces personnel started lifting the victims from the sea at 11 am on Wednesday. Marine border guards imposed strict security measures along the coast of Bughazi to prevent the relatives of victims from assembling there or boats from operating in the sea until the search has been concluded.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
