Several killed in road crash in Egypt’s governorate of Menofia

A road accident in Egypt’s Nile Delta killed 19 people on Friday, according to local officials.

A truck collided with a minibus carrying workers on a regional road in Ashmoun city in Menofia Governorate as they were heading to work, according to a statement by the labor ministry.

Only three people survived the accident that completely destroyed the vehicle.

Those involved in the accident, including the three wounded people, were transferred to Ashmoun General Hospital, according to local media reports.

Labor Minister Mohamed Gebran ordered authorities "to take necessary measures to disburse compensations for the victims' families", sending up to 200,000 Egyptian pounds ($4,010) to the families of those deceased and 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($400) to each injured person.

Menoufia’s governor Ibrahim Abu Leimon, confirmed an urgent investigation into the cause of the accident and called on the transportation ministry to reassess safety measures on the regional road, according to local media outlet Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Deadly traffic accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt, which has a poor transportation safety record.

Speeding, bad roads, and poor enforcement of traffic laws mostly cause the collisions.