Twenty one killed as bus falls into canal in Egypt

Accident was caused by the malfunctioning of steering wheel

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By AP

Published: Sat 12 Nov 2022, 3:49 PM

Last updated: Sat 12 Nov 2022, 5:40 PM

At least 19 people were killed and six injured Saturday when the minibus they were travelling in overturned in northern Egypt's Nile Delta, the health ministry said.

The minibus tumbled into a ditch in Dakahlia province, the ministry said. Egyptian media outlets reported the accident was caused by the malfunctioning of the steering wheel, without elaborating.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt where roads are often poorly maintained and driving rules flouted.

In 2021, around 7,000 people were killed on the roads of the Arab world's most populous country, according to official figures.

In July, 25 people died and 35 were injured in central Egypt when a bus crashed into a truck parked on the side of the road.A bus fell into a canal in Egypt's Nile River Delta region Saturday killing at least 21 people, the country's Health Ministry said.

Dr. Sherif Makeen, a health ministry official, said three children were among the dead.

In a statement, the ministry said the accident happened in Dakahlia province, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the capital of Cairo. Other injured passengers were transported to a local hospital.

The head of police investigations in the province, Brig. Mohamed Abdel Hadi, said the driver may have lost control of the vehicle's steering wheel.

Deadly traffic accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt, which has a poor transportation safety record. Crashes and collisions are mostly caused by speeding, bad roads or poor enforcement of traffic laws.

In July, a passenger bus slammed into a parked trailer truck on a highway in the southern province of Minya, killing 23 people and injuring 30. In October, a truck slammed into a minibus in Dakahlia, killing at least 10 people, authorities said.