Egypt mourns 18 killed in tragic road collision
Deadly traffic accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt.
Egyptian authorities say a truck and a pickup truck collided on a highway in Egypt on Thursday afternoon, killing 18 people and injuring three others.
A statement from the Ministry of Labour explains the collision occurred on the 30 June Axis south of Port Said province, killing the victims in one of the vehicles, who were all fishermen. It's unclear how the vehicles collided.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly, in a statement, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and ordered that monetary assistance be provided to them.
The pickup truck was transporting the fishermen to work at fish farms in Port Said, a coastal province in northeastern Egypt with an active fishing industry, when the collision happened around 12:30 p.m.
Crash site
It is likely that they are natives of the town and district of Matareya in Dakahlia province, according to officials.
Photos posted on Dakahlia’s governor’s Facebook page showed the aftermath of the crash, with a pickup truck crushed between two large cargo trucks and debris scattered across the road.
Meanwhile, the Port Said governor visited the crash site and the injured at local hospitals to ensure traffic was restored and that survivors were receiving proper medical care, according to a statement issued by the governor’s office on Facebook.
Deadly traffic accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt. Speeding, road conditions, and enforcement of traffic laws are also some of the main reasons for most crashes.