Thousands-Year-Old Egyptian Sarcophagus Opened on Live TV

A sarcophagus containing an Egyptian high priest was opened on live TV Sunday. (Reuters file photo)
A sarcophagus containing an Egyptian high priest was opened on live TV Sunday. (Reuters file photo)
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Thousands-Year-Old Egyptian Sarcophagus Opened on Live TV

A sarcophagus containing an Egyptian high priest was opened on live TV Sunday. (Reuters file photo)
A sarcophagus containing an Egyptian high priest was opened on live TV Sunday. (Reuters file photo)

A sarcophagus containing an Egyptian high priest was opened on live TV Sunday during a special two-hour broadcast by the American channel Discovery.

"Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live" aired from the site outside Minya, which is along the Nile River south of Cairo and its Giza pyramids, said an AFP report Monday.

Archaeologists recently discovered a network of vertical shafts at the site which led to tunnels and tombs containing 40 mummies "believed to be part of the noble elite."

After exploring other tombs -- finding artifacts like statues, amulets, canopic jars used to store organs, and other mummies including one that had decomposed to a skeleton -- they crawled to the chamber containing the intricately carved sarcophagus.

It took the strength of several people to open.

And the team's efforts had not gone to waste: inside was a pristinely linen-wrapped mummy surrounded by treasure including gold.

"I can't believe this, this is incredible," exclaimed Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister, who had taken charge of the expedition with American explorer Josh Gates as the host of the broadcast.

A Discovery spokesman previously told AFP that the project was set up in collaboration with Egypt's antiquities ministry.

Gates said the mummy was that of a high priest of Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom and magic, and dated to Ancient Egypt's 26th dynasty -- the last native dynasty to rule until 525 BC.

"Toward the end of Ancient Egypt, the power really was with the high priests and you can see this... almost feels like a royal burial," Gates said.

Discovery's broadcast also comes with global interest in Egyptian archaeology generated by a "once in a generation" exhibition about the pharaoh Tutankhamun, which opened in Paris last month and will tour the world.



Indonesian Passenger Ferry Catches Fire at Sea, Killing at Least 5

Indonesia rescue team members sail on dinghies during a search operation for missing passengers, after the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry carrying 65 people sank near the Indonesian island of Bali, in Bali, Indonesia, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo
Indonesia rescue team members sail on dinghies during a search operation for missing passengers, after the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry carrying 65 people sank near the Indonesian island of Bali, in Bali, Indonesia, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo
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Indonesian Passenger Ferry Catches Fire at Sea, Killing at Least 5

Indonesia rescue team members sail on dinghies during a search operation for missing passengers, after the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry carrying 65 people sank near the Indonesian island of Bali, in Bali, Indonesia, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo
Indonesia rescue team members sail on dinghies during a search operation for missing passengers, after the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry carrying 65 people sank near the Indonesian island of Bali, in Bali, Indonesia, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo

A passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people caught fire at sea on Sunday off Sulawesi island in Indonesia, killing at least five people, officials said. More than 280 people were rescued and evacuation efforts were ongoing.

The KM Barcelona 5 was headed to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, from Talaud, an island district in the province when it caught fire in waters near Talise, said Vice Adm. Denih Hendrata, commander of the Indonesian Fleet Command, The AP news reported.

He said that three navy ships had been deployed, and 284 passengers and crew members had been evacuated so far. The rescue operation included assistance from local fishermen, who saved some survivors wearing life jackets as they were drifting to nearby islands in the choppy waters.

Rescuers retrieved five bodies, including a pregnant woman.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, and no exact figures of passengers and crew members onboard the ferry.

“We are still focusing on evacuation efforts,” Hendrata said, adding that the cause of the fire was being investigated.

Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed terrified passengers, mostly wearing life jackets, jumping into the sea. Orange flames and black smoke billowed from the burning vessel.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel. Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.

Residents of Mentawai Islands found several people stranded on July 14 after a speedboat carrying 18 people capsized during a storm the day before, authorities said. All were in good condition.

A ferry sank near Indonesia’s resort island of Bali early this month, leaving at least 19 dead and 16 others missing. A two-week search operation involved more than 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships, 15 boats, a helicopter and divers.