CAIRO - At least 22 Egyptian people died and four others survived on Friday after a ferryboat sank in the Nile River off the southern Egyptian city of Beni Swef, 120 km south of Cairo, official news agency MENA reported.

The victims were on a bus that boarded the ferryboat to cross to the other side of the river to visit a graveyard.

The ferryboat hit the shore when it reached the bank, causing the bus to overturn in the Nile River.

The bodies of 18 have been recovered so far, the report said. And four passengers were able to jump from the bus windows, making a narrow escape from death.

Governor of Beni Swef Province Maher el-Domyati said that a technical committee will be formed to examine all the ferryboats in the Beni Swef city that are used to transfer passengers, adding that investigations are now conducted to find the causes of the accident and punish those responsible.

The official news agency previously reported up to 43 people were drowned in the accident.  

Ferry accident are common in the Nile River transportation. Five people died last July when a ferry capsized in the Nile River in the suburbs of Cairo.