CAIRO, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Eight people, including six schoolgirls, were killed when the truck they were traveling in plunged into a canal in the northern Egyptian province of Sharqia, the MENA news agency said Thursday.
The accident, which happened Wednesday evening, is believed to have been caused by the truck driver losing control of the vehicle.
Only four bodies have been found so far and the search for other victims is continuing.
Egypt is notorious for its poor road safety record. According to Egyptian authorities, around 27,000 road accidents occur in the country every year, resulting in the deaths of more than 6,000 people and injuries to a further 30,000.
The main causes of road accidents in the country are poorly maintained vehicles and a failure by drivers to obey traffic regulations. In early August, the government introduced harsher penalties in an attempt to reduce traffic violations and improve road safety.
