At least 20 Egyptians have lost their lives after the ferry on which they were traveling collided with a cargo boat on the Nile near the capital Cairo.

According to local reports, there were at least 30 people celebrating a wedding ceremony on the vessel when the ferry capsized late on Wednesday.

The victims are mostly relatives and there are women and children among them.

According to reports, the captains of both ships and their assistants survived the incident and are in police custody.

Search and rescue operations are still underway in the area in the Nile where the deadly accident happened.