Eleven people died and five were injured on Sunday in an accident on al-Saff road in Atfeeh village, Helwan governorate, south of Cairo. A microbus driver attempting to overtake a car in front was hit by a truck coming in the opposite direction, said security sources. The two lanes of the road were not separated by a barrier, according to the sources. Sources added that the microbus driver, three women and a four-year-old were among the dead. Those injured were transferred to al-Saff Central Hospital. The number of accidents exceeded 125,000 in 2010, according to Adel al-Kashef, head of the Cairo-based Arab Road Association--a far larger number than those released by the Interior Ministry. Official estimates of the death toll are however inconsistent. While the Health Ministry puts the number at 7500, the Interior Ministry claims it is closer to 7000. International organizations estimate that around 13,000 die annually, putting Egypt high on the list of countries with the largest number of traffic fatalities.
