'19 dead' as lorry hits bus in Egypt capital


CAIRO, Egypt -- Nineteen people died in Egypt Wednesday when a minibus was hit by an oncoming lorry travelling the wrong way on a Cairo bypass, medical and security sources said.

The accident happened in the October 6 suburb on the western edge of the capital, killing the driver of the minibus and 18 passengers, the sources said.

Travel accidents are frequent in Egypt, where many roads are badly maintained and traffic rules often neglected by drivers and authorities.

About 7,000 people were killed on the country's roads last year, according to official figures.