The accident which caused the ferry to sink took place near the Egyptian town of Miniya which is 160 miles south of Cairo. A minibus fell off the ferry and into the water. Most of the passengers on board were returning home to Cairo after visiting relatives during the Eid al-Adha festival.
13 people have died in the same area in a similar accident in October.
Due to lack of transport regulations, ferry and transport accidents in general are not uncommon in Egypt. The state media reports that rescuers searched for the bodies believed to be underwater inside the minibus.
In the October incident, the 13 people died in Minya after the ramp they used to board the boat had collapsed. The 13 of them plunged into the river to their deaths.
However, the biggest loss of life in such an accident took place on February 2006. An Egyptian fairy sank into the Red Sea killing at least 1,000 passengers.