Twelve tourists, including seven foreigners, were killed when their coach hit a truck head-on along the west coast of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula on Monday, a security official said.
At least 37 people were injured in the accident, which happened outside the town of Ras Sidr, about 50km south of the main road tunnel connecting Sinai with the rest of Egypt.
Each year about 6 000 people die and 30 000 are hurt in road accidents in Egypt.
A coach crash in the same region in May killed eight foreign tourists and an Egyptian driver. Three tourist firms were suspended following that crash.
On Saturday, three Italian tourists were killed when the minibus they were travelling in overturned on Sinai’s eastern coast, near the resort of Dahab.
In March, 23 people were killed when two trucks collided head on. The previous month, 29 people were killed in a pile-up on a road south of Cairo in an accident blamed on fog.
Traffic regulations in Egypt are often badly enforced and vehicles poorly maintained. Many coastal and desert roads allow for high speeds, and accidents caused by reckless overtaking are frequent.
Millions of tourists visit the country every year, with their spending accounting for almost 20% of foreign currency receipts. – AFP