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At least 10 people have been killed after a tourist bus collided with a truck and then burst into flames in southern Egypt.
The regional governor’s office said the accident occurred on the road between the city of Aswan and the temples of Abu Simbel, a popular tourist site several hours further south.
The bus was travelling to the Temple of Esna on the west bank of the Nile River, some 34 miles (55km) south of the ancient city of Luxor.
Four people from France were killed in the crash, as well as a Belgian and five Egyptians.
The wreckage of the bus following the crash. Pic: AP
Some 14 other people were injured, including eight French tourists and six from Belgium.
The health ministry said 30 ambulances were sent to the scene and took the casualties to hospitals.
Aswan Provincial Governor Ashraf Attia said the injured were in a stable condition.
‘Tragic accident’
President Abdel Fattah al Sisi said on Twitter that he was closely following the incident and had told the government to “provide all medical and treatment care for the victims of the tragic accident”.
The cause of the crash is not yet known.
The accident comes five days after a bus crashed on a highway near the Red Sea, killing three people including two Polish tourists.
The bus had been travelling to the Temple of Esna on the west bank of the Nile River. Pic: AP
Deadly traffic accidents are known to claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt as the country has a poor transportation safety record.
The crashes and collisions are mostly caused by speeding, bad roads or poor enforcement of traffic laws.
Egypt’s official statistics agency said there were about 10,000 road accidents in 2019, which was the most recent year for which statistics are available, leaving over 3,480 dead.
In 2018, there were 8,480 car accidents, causing over 3,080 deaths.
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