Nine people were killed, including four children, and two others were injured in a collision between a truck and a minibus on the Qena–Safaga highway Saturday.
A statement released by the Qena Security Department said that the two vehicles came from opposite sides and crashed at the 35-kilometer mark on the highway.
Six ambulances rushed to the scene to find the remains of nine people, including the driver of the truck and four children.
According to the statement, the dead and injured were taken to Qena Public Hospital while the incident was being further investigated.
A total of 1,999 accidents occurred on main roads and highways last year, causing the deaths of 980 people and injuring 4,392, according to a report released in May by the General Authority for Roads, Bridges and Land Transport.
Road and rail accidents in recent years have sparked a public outcry over the government’s record on transportation safety. Many road crashes in Egypt are caused by reckless driving, lax traffic rules and bad road conditions.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
