Teacher, 47, Falls to Her Death on Vacation After Cruise Ships Collide on Egypt’s Nile River

A teacher, who was on vacation in Egypt, is dead after the cruise ship she was on collided with another tourism vessel on the Nile River.

At around 7 p.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 21, approximately 70 Italian tourists were on the Royal Beau Rivage ship when it collided with another cruise ship less than 20 miles from Luxor, the location of ancient ruins, according to Italian news outlets L’Unione Sarda, Il Messaggero and ANSA.

Denise Ruggeri, a 47-year-old teacher from Italy, was traveling with her husband when she fell amid the crash and sustained fatal injuries, according to the outlets.

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The crash occurred following attempts to pass through a lock on the waterway, L’Unione Sarda reported. As a result of the collision, people on board fell into the water and four cabins were destroyed.

Ruggeri suffered a punctured lung when she fell inside her cabin, and couldn’t be saved despite medical intervention, according to Il Messaggero. 

Ruggeri hailed from Cagnano Amiterno, a small town located in the Abruzzo region of Italy, and served as a teacher in neighboring Pizzoli.

“At present, there is no news of other Italians being involved; they are all believed to be safe,” said Agostino Palese, the Italian ambassador to Cairo, per Il Messaggero. 

An investigation is being conducted by prosecutors in Egypt, ANSA reported. 

The Italian Embassy in Cairo, Nile Cruisers and the Maritime Transport and Logistics Sector in Alexandria, Egypt did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.