Egyptian medical and security officials said at least nine Europeans and three Egyptians were killed in a bus crash near the Red Sea port town of Safaga some six hours South-east of Cairo on Thursday.This is the most recent accident along the Red Sea coast, where crashes have been frequent due to bad driving habits.
Another 10 tourists were reportedly injured after the bus they were riding in slammed into an oncoming truck on a road near Safaga.
According to initial reports, the nine tourists who died were from Serbia.
The crash again highlights the high number of deaths in road accidents in Egypt.
According to the Ministry of Transportation, some 6,000 people are killed annually in road accidents in Egypt. Non-governmental observers, however, said the number is far higher.
Poor road conditions, high speed and non-usage of seat belts are blamed for most of the deaths.
Cairo attempted last year to establish a stricter legal code to combat the rising accidents, but non-implementation of the code has not helped matters.
Earlier this year, scores of cars piled up on Cairo’s Ring Road, leaving dozens killed in what has become a symbol of the growing problem in the country.