Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered authorities on Saturday to punish those responsible for the deaths of at least 160 illegal migrants after a boat capsized off Egypt's north coast, as families demanded the bodies of their loved ones.
Rescue workers and fishermen have retrieved 169 people since the boat overturned off the coast of Beheira early on Wednesday with up to 600 people on board, suggesting many more may have perished than the death toll given by security officials.
Survivors, their relatives and the families of the dead have been complaining of what they say is inaction by Egyptian authorities, including the coastguard.
On Saturday morning, dozens of families stormed the gate of a coastguard checkpoint chanting: "We want our children! We want our children!"
The coastguard service says it foiled the attempt at human trafficking and saved lives after the disaster, pulling many victims to safety after the boat went down. Four members of the crew have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in human trafficking.
Following a meeting with the prime minister, the interior minister, and the head of the General Intelligence Directorate, Sisi ordered authorities to prosecute those who caused the incident, a presidential statement said.
Officials say the boat was carrying Egyptian, Sudanese, Eritrean and Somali migrants, apparently heading for Italy.
Security sources have said there was almost 600 migrants aboard the boat.
A survivor, whose comments appeared in a video online, said the migrants had been told that about 200 people would be on board, but that the smugglers had then added another 50, causing the boat to turn over.
More and more people have been trying to cross to Italy from the African coast over the summer months, particularly from Libya, where human traffickers operate with relative impunity.
The International Organization for Migration says that more than 3,200 migrants have died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year, while nearly 300,000 have reached European shores.
