9 children dead in Egypt after motorised tricycle plunges into canal

A motorised tricycle plunged into a canal in southern Egypt on Tuesday, killing nine children and injuring two others, local officials said.

The tricycle fell into the water in the area of Abu Tig in the southern province of Assiut, according to a statement the governor’s office posted on Facebook.

“My nephew is one of the nine who died. They are people below zero, they have nothing, and they work on farmland for one hundred pounds a day and they spend on their homes (these children)," said Gamal Suleiman, an uncle of one of the victims.

Assiut, located 320 kilometres south of the capital, Cairo, is a province in Upper Egypt known for historic landmarks.

Local media reported that a steering malfunction caused the tricycle to overturn as it carried children returning home from work on nearby farms.

The conditions of those injured were unclear. The bodies were taken to Abu Tig Hospital, according to the governor's office.

Local news outlet Cairo 24 said the children’s ages ranged from 10 to 17.

Photos posted by the governor’s office showed dozens of people gathered at the canal as people in divers’ gear searched the water.

Assiut's governor, Mohamed Elwan, ordered authorities to implement safety measures, including the installation of concrete barriers along the sides of the canal.

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 are the main reasons for crashes.