CAIRO: Egyptian medical and security officials have reported that at least 9 Europeans and three Egyptians were killed in a bus crash near the Red Sea port town of Safaga some 6 hours southeast of Cairo on Thursday. This is the most recent accident along the Red Sea coast, where buses drive erratically and frequently crash. 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 9 tourists killed were from Serbia. The accident again highlights the massive numbers of deaths in road incidents in the country. According to the ministry of transportation, some 6,000 people are killed annually in road accidents in Egypt. Non-government affiliated observers, however, argue that thousands more are killed and not reported. Poor road conditions, extreme driving speeds and a lack of seat belts are the main causes for a majority of the deaths. Cairo attempted last year to establish a stricter legal code to combat the rising accidents, but a lack of implementation has done little to stem the number of deaths on the road. 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. Those injured in the crash are being treated in local hospitals. BM
