170 bodies recovered so far in boat disaster

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi said on Monday that Egyptians must join hands with his government to prevent a repeat of the tragedy that struck last week when a Europe-bound boat carrying hundreds of migrants sank in the Mediterranean off the Egyptian coast, with the loss of at least 170 lives.

In his first public comments on the incident, Sisi said the government could not alone safeguard the country's porous land and sea borders. "As a state, along with its institutions, we are concerned and committed to safeguarding our borders and prevent this, but society must contribute to the effort so this is never repeated."

Many of the Egyptians who were on board the boat were unescorted minors or single men in their early 20s looking for work in western Europe. The fact that they were willing to risk their lives to reach Europe has brought into focus Egypt's harsh economic realities, with many of the country's 91 million people struggling to cope with double digit unemployment and rising inflation among a host of economic woes.