The nationalities of the deceased have not yet been determined. The bus was thought to have been carrying 37 tourists. All the injured have been taken to hospital. The exact extent of their injuries is not yet known.
However, an Egyptian police source earlier told the media that, "Two Egyptian police, 14 Russians, two Canadians, an Italian, and three Ukrainians," were known to have been injured in the accident.
Russian consulate officials have arrived in the area and are currently attempting to establish if any Russians are among the dead. They have also visited Russians injured in the accident in hospital.
The bus overturned at a sharp bend on a desert highway at Abu Zenima, about 40 miles (65 kms) southeast of the Suez Canal. It was travelling from the popular tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The vehicle was owned by Azur travel.
Such incidents are frequent on Egyptian roads due to a combination of speeding and poor road conditions. Some 8,000 people die annually each year in the country in road accidents.
