A large truck crashed into a tour bus Tuesday on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo killing 13 people and injuring 34, according to state television.
The collision was on Cairo’s Western Desert road, to Asyut, causing their deaths, Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram said. Police were working on clearing the highway after the accident, and a crane was on scene to lift the severely damaged bus.
One side of the front end of the bus was totally torn apart with twisted metal and debris strewn across the roadway. The rear of the truck had debris from washing the bus and passenger seats were thrown off the roadside which was also visible.
Al-Ahram says the injured passengers were being treated at a hospital in the city of Giza. A flight investigation was under way to determine the conditions of the crash.
Traffic accidents in Egypt are still a major problem; in many instances the problems are due to reckless driving, running down traffic safety and improper handling of vehicles, and regulation enforcement inconsistencies.
For example, the country’s state statistics agency reported almost 6,000 deaths on the nation’s roadways last year, illustrating the magnitude of the issue of road safety.
This is the latest incident on the list of fatal traffic crashes that have occurred in the country over the years. A month ago, a bus crash in Sinai, killing 22 people, including 10 Jordanian tourists, shook the region.
At least 18 people, including numerous children, died in a collision of two pickup trucks transporting agricultural day labourers to their work in northern Egypt, during August.
Police continue to investigate the bus and truck crash that injured several people that occurred Tuesday, while they are being treated at the hospital. The reports did not immediately provide further information on those who were harmed or what caused the crash.