Bus rams into truck in southern Egypt, killing 23 people

CAIRO (AP) — A passenger bus slammed into a parked trailer truck on a highway in southern Egypt early on Tuesday, killing 23 people and injuring at least 30, authorities said.

The crash took place in the province of Minya, on the main highway linking the capital, Cairo, with the country’s south. The bus was heading to Cairo, according to a local government statement.

The truck driver was changing tires on the roadside when the bus crashed into it, near the town of Malawi, about 220 kilometers (137 miles) south of Cairo. Footage from the scene posted by local authorities showed the bus, heavily damaged in the front half.

Ambulances rushed to the scene to transfer the injured to hospitals in Minya. The Health Ministry said at least 16 of the injured were discharged from hospitals after receiving treatment.

Traffic accidents kill thousands every year in Egypt, which has a poor transportation safety record. Crashes are mostly caused by speeding, careless driving, bad roads or poor enforcement of traffic laws.

In January, at least 16 people were killed and 18 others injured when a microbus collided with a public transportation bus in the Sinai Peninsula. In April last year, a bus overturned while trying to pass a truck on a highway in the southern province of Assiut, leaving at least 21 people dead and three others injured.