20 dead in the fall of an Egyptian minibus in a canal

Twenty people were killed on Saturday when the minibus they were traveling in overturned in a canal in the Nile Delta in northern Egypt, prosecutors said.

Eight people were injured in the accident in the governorate of Dakahlia, including the driver.

Prosecutors said police arrested the driver after a preliminary drug test suggested he was driving under the influence of narcotics.

They said he was also suspected of using a mobile phone while driving at the time of the accident.

Emergency crews recovered the badly damaged minibus from the canal, a AFP reports the photographer.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt where roads are often poorly maintained and driving rules flouted.

In 2021, around 7,000 people were killed on the roads of the Arab world’s most populous country, according to official figures.

In July, 25 people died and 35 were injured in central Egypt when a bus rammed a truck parked on the side of the road.