Home>News Center>World
         
 

33 killed in Egypt bus crash
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-08 09:39

Thirty-three people were killed and 14 injured in Egypt when a truck crashed into a bus carrying pilgrims back home from the holy Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, police said.

The truck, towing a trailer full of sugar, was trying to overtake a car when it hit the bus head-on at full speed near Minya on the river Nile, some 150 (230 kilometres) miles south of Cairo.

According to an AFP correspondent at the scene of the crash, the left side of the bus had been completely smashed-in by the force of the impact.

Most of the victims were pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia after performing the minor Muslim pilgrimage, the Omra, as well as Egyptian workers coming back home from the country to mark the end of Ramadan.

The Egyptian press has expressed fury in recent days over the transport conditions for pilgrims performing the Omra, with several dozen pilgrims losing their lives on Egypt's roads so far during the current pilgrimage season.

Just three weeks ago, 14 Egyptians heading to Saudi Arabia on a pilgrimage were killed when their bus overturned near the Red Sea town of Hurghada, police said.

Egypt's roads are plagued by deadly accidents, with at least 6,500 people killed each year mainly owing to the poor condition of the roads and bad driving.



 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Nation likely to be 3rd largest trading power

 

   
 

Nutritional imbalance plagues people

 

   
 

Mine blast kills 33, injures 6 in Henan

 

   
 

Coal mining: Most deadly job in China

 

   
 

Shen and Zhao win Cup of China

 

   
 

Consumer price remains stable in October

 

   
  Police lose control of Mosul amid uprising
   
  Arafat buried in Chaotic scenes in West Bank
   
  U.S. may use Iraq meeting to engage Iran
   
  Bush vows second-term push for Palestinian state
   
  Dutch to withdraw troops from Iraq in March
   
  Haiti PM orders arrest warrant against Aristide
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Bus crash kills 2, injures 20 Chinese in Jordan
   
At least 21 killed in HK bus accident
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement