20 killed in Egypt road accident

Cairo, March 7 (IANS) At least 20 people were killed and five injured when a microbus and a truck collided on Egypt's El-Kureimat highway in Giza province.The accident took place on Saturday after the truck's tire exploded, leading it to crash into the microbus that was travelling in the opposite direction, Xinhua news agency reported.The dead and the injured were evacuated in ambulances to nearby hospitals, according to a Health Ministry official.A statement by the public prosecution said the truck driver was arrested and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the accident.A team from the prosecution office had inspected the scene of the collision while another headed to the hospital to record the accounts of the injured, Ahram Online reported.Accidents are common in Egypt because of poorly maintained road infrastructure and loosely applied traffic regulations.Over the past few years, Egypt has been upgrading its road network, establishing new roads and bridges, and repairing existing ones to reduce traffic accidents.
--IANS ksk/