Deadly road accidents in northern Egypt kill 32

Deadly road accidents in northern Egypt kill 32

2011-01-12 08:46:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO, EGYPT (BNO NEWS) -- Thirty-two people were killed on Tuesday and 34 others were injured in two road accidents in northern Egypt, the Egyptian Gazette reported on Wednesday.

The two accidents took place in Egypt's Nile Delta province of Sharqiya. In the first incident, four cars and a bus collided head-on with a truck on Belbeis-Cairo Desert Road.

Twenty passengers of the bus were killed and 14 other people were wounded. The bus was heading to the industrial city of Ramadan and most of the passengers were on their way to work, according to authorities.

The cause of the accident was attributed to the high speed of both drivers. However, authorities added that the heavy fog and low visibility also had a role in the road accident.

The second incident occurred near Belbeis as a small truck crashed into another one carrying some gas cylinders. The small truck was illegally transporting farm workers, including minors whose ages were between 9 and 17 years.

The Egyptian Gazette reported that the gas truck was hit from behind and, as a result, twelve people were killed and 20 others were injured. Heavy fog was blamed for this accident as well.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt due to the poor road conditions in most of the country, but especially in the northern Nile Delta region. Authorities said that about 8,000 people die and 32,000 are injured on Egypt's roads each year.

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