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UAE offers condolences to Egypt over traffic accident that killed 18
Egyptian authorities said investigations were underway to determine the cause of the crash
- PUBLISHED: Thu 13 Aug 2026, 7:11 PM
The UAE has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with Egypt over a deadly traffic collision in the northern Ismailia Governorate, east of the country, which resulted in the death of 18 people and left around 30 injured.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families and relatives of the victims, and to Egypt and its brotherly people in this painful affliction, wishing a speedy recovery for all those injured.
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Among the fatalities of the accident, there were many children aged 13 to 14. The collision took place when two pick-up trucks carrying agricultural day labourers crashed, a local medical source said.
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Dangerously overcrowded pick-ups are a regular mode of transport for millions of Egyptian informal workers, despite the danger, including to child labourers.
At least 1.3 million minors are engaged in some form of child labour in Egypt, according to official figures, and are regularly the victims of commuter accidents.
The workers, mostly from two villages in the Nile delta governorate of Sharqiya, were "on their way to work on an Ismailia farm," a local security source told AFP.
Authorities said investigations were underway to determine the cause of the crash, while the injured were transported to nearby hospitals.
Informal labour accounts for nearly 67 percent of employment in Egypt and nearly the entire agricultural sector, according to the International Labour Organization.
Between 8 and 13 million people are estimated to work as "irregular" day labourers -- mostly in agriculture, construction and manufacturing -- and lack robust wage and safety protections.
(With inputs from AFP)
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.