Minibus Plunges Into Canal in Northern Egypt, Killing 19

At least 19 people were killed and six others injured on Saturday when a minibus driver lost control of his vehicle on the Mit Ghamr-Mansoura road, crashing the bus into a canal, according to Egypt’s Health Ministry. The accident happened in al-Dayris village in Egypt’s Dakahlia Governorate, 120 kilometers north of the Egyptian capital Cairo. Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported that the dead and injured were transferred to nearby hospitals, while the minibus was pulled out of the water and rescuers searched for additional victims. Egyptian media outlets said the accident was caused by a malfunctioning steering wheel. Egypt has been upgrading its road network in an effort to reduce traffic accidents. But accidents remain common, mostly caused by speeding, poor road and vehicle maintenance, and lax enforcement of traffic laws, and continue to claim thousands of lives annually.