A bus has overturned while trying to pass a truck on a highway in southern Egypt, causing a collision that killed at least 21 people and injured three others, authorities say.
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The bus was travelling from Cairo when it turned over and was hit by the truck on a road in the southern province of Assiut south of Cairo, Governor Essam Saad said in a statement.
Both vehicles caught fire, it added.
Photos released by the governor's office showed a burned-out bus, with rescue teams looking for survivors. The victims were taken to nearby hospitals, the statement said.
The country's public prosecutor's office said the road was being reconstructed and there were no lights or traffic signs.
It said that at least 18 bodies were completely burned and that the two divers were among the dead.
Traffic accidents kill thousands every year in Egypt, which has a poor transportation safety record. Crashes are mostly caused by speeding, bad roads or poor enforcement of traffic laws.
The country's official statistics agency says around 10,000 road accidents took place in 2019, the most recent year for which statistics are available, leaving more than 3480 dead.
Australian Associated Press
