At least 1 dead after 'violent' river boat collision in Egypt's Nile River: All you need to know

At least one person died on Sunday night (local time) after a major collision between two cruise ships on Egypt's Nile River.

The collision took place between the Royal Beau Rivage, a deluxe river boat, and the Opera, a regular river boat, nearly 2km away from the Esna Lock—a lock and dam system on the Nile River that regulates water levels in the stretch between Aswan and Luxor.

According to a local media report, the Opera, capable of carrying nearly 200 passengers, had just crossed the Esna Lock in its journey from Aswan to Luxor.

When it was nearly 2km away from the Lock, it approached the Royal Beau Rivage, which houses 71 cabins and is capable of carrying more than 140 passengers.

The collision took place because the captain of the Royal Beau Rivage allegedly made a sudden, sharp turn to one side as it approached the Opera from the opposite side—violating Egypt's river rule, as per which vessels (such as the Opera) travelling in the direction of the water currents are to be given priority.

It was this sudden turn that allegedly caused the "extremely violent" crash, leading to Denise Ruggeri, a 47-year-old Italian tourist aboard the Royal Beau Rivage, falling down in her room and sustaining a serious lung injury. Though she was rushed to a hospital in Esna, she did not survive, as per a Daily Mail report.

Three cabins of the Royal Beau Rivage have also been destroyed, while the Opera has suffered damage to its bow.

Passengers on both vessels—mostly tourists—were soon evacuated, with the remainder of their journeys to take place on land.

While the incident temporarily suspended river traffic on the Nile, vessels resumed movement the next day. The captain of the Royal Beau Rivage has also been suspended, with an investigation launched to further probe possible maritime violations.