At least 19 dead in tragic Egyptian minibus accident

At least 19 people were killed and six injured Saturday when the minibus they were travelling in overturned in northern Egypt's Nile Delta near a canal, the Egyptian health ministry has said.

The minibus tumbled into a ditch in Dakahlia province around midday. Egyptian media outlets reported the accident was caused by a malfunctioning steering wheel - though this claim has not been corroborated. 

When the accident was reported, 18 ambulances attended the scene, according to the Egyptian health ministry. 

Emergency services arrived to find several dead inside the minibus, while others had been thrown out into the waters of the canal. 

Five injured survivors have been moved to Aja central hospital for urgent treatment, while one other was taken to al-Mansoura international. 

Overall, 16 Egyptians survived the accident, while emergency services are still looking for survivors at the scene. 

The tragedy is not the first with major casualties to strike Egyptian highways this year. Traffic accidents are common in Egypt, where roads are often poorly maintained and driving rules flouted.

In 2021, road traffic accidents caused nearly 2% of all total fatalities within Egypt - making it the twelfth most common cause of death, according to the World Health Organisation. 

Around 7,000 people were killed on the roads of the Arab world's most populous country last year.

In July this year, 25 people died and 35 were injured in central Egypt when a bus crashed into a truck parked on the side of the road.

And in January, a crash between two buses in the Sinai Peninsula left 16 dead and 18 others injured.