Bus Carrying Egypt Soldiers Hits Truck, 16 Killed

A bus carrying Egyptian soldiers crashed into a truck on a highway near the Mediterranean coast early Sunday, killing 16, a security official said.

The accident took place on the highway between Cairo and the port city of Alexandria as the soldiers were heading home from their military base in northwestern Egypt for a vacation to join their families during the holy month of Ramadan, the official said.

The official said the dead included 15 soldiers and a driver, while another 40 people were injured. They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Road accidents are common in Egypt due to badly maintained roads and poor enforcement of traffic laws. According to a 2012 World Health Organization report, road accidents kill about 12,000 people each year in a population of about 90 million.

AP