Egypt Road Crash Kills 18, Many of Them Children

ISMAILIA, Egypt — At least 18 people died Tuesday when two pickup trucks carrying agricultural laborers collided in the Dawawis area of Ismailia governorate. Many of the victims were children.

A local medical source said most of those killed were teenagers aged 13 or 14. The youngest victim was 10 years old, according to local media reports. Egypt's Health Ministry reported 47 total casualties, including about 30 injured.

The workers were largely agricultural day laborers, many from two villages in the Nile Delta region of Sharqiya. They were traveling to an Ismailia farm when the crash occurred. Injured survivors were taken to nearby hospitals.

Overcrowded pickup trucks are a common mode of transport for millions of informal laborers across Egypt. Fatal road accidents frequently involve minors in unsafe vehicles.

Official figures show at least 1.3 million minors are required to work in Egypt. Informal labor constitutes nearly 67 percent of the country's employment, including almost the entire agricultural sector.

An estimated 8 million to 13 million people work as irregular day laborers, most without wage or safety protections. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

ISMAILIA, Egypt — At least 18 people died Tuesday when two pickup trucks carrying agricultural laborers collided in the Dawawis area of Ismailia governorate. Many of the victims were children.

Overcrowded pickup trucks are a common mode of transport for millions of informal laborers across Egypt. Fatal road accidents frequently involve minors in unsafe vehicles.

An estimated 8 million to 13 million people work as irregular day laborers, most without wage or safety protections. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.