Cairo, Egypt: At least 15 people drowned when an unlicensed ferry capsized in Egypt's Nile River north of Cairo overnight, the government said on Friday.

Rescue teams recovered 15 bodies in the Kafr al-Sheikh province north of Cairo, the cabinet said in a statement, adding that three survivors of the accident were hospitalised. 

The government said the boat was carrying 18 people, although its maximum capacity was seven passengers, and its licence had expired.

The accident came months after at least 36 Egyptians were killed when a party boat collided with a cargo ship in the Nile.

Following that accident in July, the government pledged to ‘achieve discipline’ on the waterway.

It banned the use of loud speakers on vessels hired for private ceremonies and on ferries transporting people. The cabinet also decided not to build new berths along the river.

The Nile, which runs the length of Egypt, is dotted with cargo ships, party boats and fishing vessels.