Rashid Misdemeanor court in Beheira governorate extended the detention of four boat crew members for 15 days on Saturday in connection with a disaster on Wednesday that saw at least 164 illegal migrants drown on the Mediterranean.
On Friday, the posecution office for North Damanhur, in the governorate of Beheira, detained the four suspects for four days pending investigations into the incident.
The crew from a boat named "Mawkeb al-Rasul" are susepcted of involvement in the disaster, and were discovered among the survivors. They have been detained for questioning on how the disaster occured and who was responsible.
Egyptian security forces and border guards have recovered at least 164 dead bodies from the Mediterranean so far after a boat capsized while carrying around 600 illegal migrants on their journey to Europe from Beheira governorate.
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail held a ministerial meeting with ministers of health, the interior, social solidarity, and local development to produce a report on the disaster, which will be delivered to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The meeting also involved discussions on tougher punishments for those involved in illegal migration attempts and human trafficking.
Ismail took the report to Ittihadiya Presidential Palace this afternoon for presentation to Sisi.
