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No Russians reported yet among 385 tourists kept hostage in Egypt

It is unclear yet whether Russian citizens were among the foresaid tourists

CAIRO, January 8 (Itar-Tass) —— The residents of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt have kept 385 foreign tourists as hostages for three hours.

The Egyptians surrounded the temple in the city and did not let anyone out in protest against the death of their fellow countrymen, local media reported on Sunday. No one was injured in the incident. It is unclear yet whether Russian citizens were among the foresaid tourists.

Dozens of houses were flooded and the bridge was destroyed several days ago, as the dam broke down on the Nasser Lake in southern Egypt. Three people were killed in the natural disaster, according to latest reports.

Two unique ancient Egyptian temples built in the times of Pharaoh Ramesses II and his queen Nefertari are situated in Abu Simbel. Built in the 13th century BC the temples were relocated in the sixties of the previous century, when the construction of the Aswan High Dam was launched and the district on the bank of the Nile River, where the temples were initially built, turned out to be under the threat of flood. The UNESCO organization and scientists from many countries were participating in a large-scale engineering and archaeological operation to relocate the temples 65 meters higher and 200 meters away from the river.