Cairo - Egyptian prosecutors summoned officials in charge of a
beach in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria on Saturday, a day
after at least 11 people drowned there.
The incident took place off Alexandria's Palm Beach, dubbed the
"Shore of Death" due to its rocks and choppy waves that have been
blamed for a series of drownings in recent years.
The beach officials are to be questioned to determine who is
responsible for the incident, the online edition of state-owned
newspaper al-Ahram reported without further details.
Seven of the bodies have been recovered from waters as rescue teams
continue searching for the others, privately onwned newspaper
al-Watan reported.
Those retrieved included the bodies of a 14-year-old boy and a woman,
it added.
Beaches across Egypt have been shut down since March as part of
government measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
Alexandria authorities said the incident happened after a group of
people went to the beach early in the morning in violation of the
ban to avoid being caught by security guards.
A boy then drowned, prompting others to jump into the waters in an an
attempt to rescue him, but some of them also died, the governmental
Central Administration for Tourism and Resorts.
"The administration appeals to citizens to comply with the
government's instructions of avoid going to beaches for their
safety," it added in a statement.
Alexandria is a popular summer destination that usually attracts
thousands from around Egypt seeking to beat the summer heat.
While having recently loosened many virus-induced restrictions to
boost economy, the Egyptian government has kept beaches closed to
curb the virus spread in this country of nearly 100 million people.