Clashes erupted on Tuesday between residents of a Qalyubia Governorate village and local police officials over the increasingly high incidence of traffic accidents nearby the village.
The residents accuse the authorities of ignoring their request for construction of a foot bridge. Hardly a week passes without an accident, the villagers say.
The confrontations first broke out when a road accident killed two local residents on the nearby highway. The residents clashed with the police as they rushed to the scene of the accident, injuring ten policemen. Three police cars were also damaged in the violence.
Residents blocked the road for five hours and set car tires ablaze while attempting to burn a traffic checkpoint at the village's entrance.
Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and arrested 48 villagers.
Meanwhile, Qalyubia Governor Adli Hussein said he understands the villagers' position but sees no reason why the locals should repeatedly obstruct traffic.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
