CAIRO: Five Egyptians were killed and two wounded when a fire broke out on a Nile cruise ship anchored near the ancient Egyptian ruins of Luxor late on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of 43 French tourists, said a security official.
The causes of the fire on the M/S Aurora cruise ship were still under investigation added the official, speaking by phone from Luxor on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
The five star M/S Aurora features 42 suites and is one of many cruise ships taking tourists on week-long trips up and down the Nile to visit the Pharaonic-era ruins found between the temple city of Luxor and Aswan, according to travel Websites.
In February 2006, an electrical short circuit caused a fire that destroyed three cruise ships moored side by side, also in Luxor. -AP
