At least 33 people have been confirmed dead after a bus crash in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The accident occurred when two buses crashed into one another, colliding head-on in what is being called the worst traffic accident in the country in almost two years. The accident left one bus a burnt-out shell and the other one lying on its side in the middle of the roadway. There are conflicting reports at this time as to whether the buses were transit lines or tourist lines.
The lethal crash also left many injuries in its wake, with 41 people reporting being hurt during the accident, some of them in critical condition with severe head injuries, while others sustained relatively minor, non-life threatening injuries. Among the injured were vacationers from Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine. Those with injuries were rushed by ambulance to area hospitals, and 22 people are said to still be recovering from their wounds at nearby Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital, four of whom are being treated in intensive care.
The identities of at least 19 of those who were killed in the crash have yet to be determined, with only 14 of the deceased having been identified thus far. Two of the 19 unidentified bodies appear to be those of small children. All of those who were killed in the crash and later identified by family members were Egyptian nationals.
Although the cause of the crash has yet to be determined and no one can yet say who was at fault for the accident, Egyptian officials have made a statement indicating that they do not suspect foul play at this time, and that further investigation will be needed before more details can be released.
Egypt is a country noted for its road dangers and frequent, devastating traffic accidents. In 2013, more than 50,000 traffic accidents are reported to have taken place on its roadways, with roughly 13,000 deaths resulting from those accidents. Both the number of accidents and the number of deaths that result from those accidents continue to climb in Egypt from year to year. Egyptian officials have yet to state whether they intend to take any measures to ensure better traffic safety in the future.