Following a report of a collision on Friday, 27 June, on a regional road near Ashmoun in Egypt’s Menoufia Governorate, security forces and ambulances were dispatched to the location to find a wrecked transport truck and a microbus, leaving nineteen people dead.
Preliminary findings revealed that the truck driver lost control of the vehicle, reportedly after falling asleep at the wheel, and crashed through a concrete barrier before striking the minibus. Nineteen people were killed in the incident, including four students. Authorities suspect excessive speed was a contributing factor, and the driver is undergoing testing to determine if he was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the crash.
Hospitals across the region were placed on high alert to receive the injured and administer medical care, with casualties transported to facilities in Monouf, Ashmoun, Sers El Layan, Quwisna, El Bagour, and Shebin El Koum. Relatives of the deceased gathered at the hospital to identify their loved ones.
The Public Prosecution has opened an investigation into the crash, appointing a forensic team to examine the bodies. Authorities have also begun collecting witness testimonies and statements from survivors.
The driver of the trailer truck testified that he lost control of the steering wheel while driving, saying, “the steering wheel slipped out of my hands, and when I looked up, they were right in front of me.”
However, a source confirmed that the trailer truck driver had been asleep at the wheel, and authorities plan to conduct a drug test to determine whether he was under the influence of narcotics.
The Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority, Mohamed Farid, directed the Egyptian Compulsory Insurance Pool for Civil Liability Arising from Motor Vehicle Accidents to disburse compensation of EGP 100,000 (USD 2,011) to the family of each victim who died in the tragic accident in Monufia Governorate last Friday morning, which resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries.
Road accidents remain a pressing concern in Egypt, frequently attributed to speeding and driver negligence, and continue to result in substantial loss of life and injuries each year.
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