Bus accident kills 8 in Egypt

Altogether eight Egyptians, mostly college students, were killed and 43 others were injured Friday when a tour bus overturned in the country's South Sinai province, state-run Ahram newspaper reported.

Security sources said that a bus turned over on Nuweiba international highway. The students on the bus from Alexandria University were heading to Nuweiba red sea tourist city, some 670 km northeast of Cairo, to spend mid-year vacation.

Initial investigations revealed that the bus driver was driving at high speed on a winding road surrounded by mountains and cliffs when he lost control of the bus.

The number of casualties might increase as some of the injured sustained critical wounds.

Road accidents are common in the most populous Arab country due to lack of highway monitoring systems, poor road maintenance and negligence of traffic rules.

According to a report from the World Health Organization, Egypt loses around 12,000 lives due to road traffic crashes every year. It has a road traffic fatality rate of 42 deaths per 100,000 population. Endit