AT LEAST 27 people were killed and about 18 injured in the small hours of Monday morning when three micro-buses collided on the Cairo-Aswan desert highway near Edfu city. According to Ahmed Al-Ansari, the head of Ambulance Authority, some injuries are minor, others more serious. About 20 ambulances were sent to the site of the accident to transport the injured. Prosecution said investigations have shown that the accident took place due to speeding and the attempt of one of micro-buses to take over the other. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi called for the speedy treatment of the injured and an investigation into what caused the accident. He also ordered the government to take all necessary measures to reduce the number of road accidents for citizens' safety. Traffic accidents are common in Egypt, with hundreds killed every year. Poor maintenance of both roads and vehicles, excessive speeding and reckless driving are responsible for the high rates of accidents. In August, over 33 people were killed after two tourist buses collided in Sharm Al-Sheikh, an incident shortly followed by another accident that left over 17 dead as two microbuses fell into a canal in Luxor. Last November, at least 26 people were killed and 28 injured when a train crashed into a micro-bus and other vehicles south of the capital, Cairo.
