Truck crash in Egypt kills ۱۸, many of them child labourers

Most of the dead are age ۱۳ and ۱۴, medical source says

At least ۱۸ people, many of them children, have died when a pick-up truck carrying agricultural labourers crashed in Egypt.

The crash on Tuesday happened on a link road in the Al-Dawawis area of Ismailia governorate, according to Egypt’s Al-Ahram news.

Egypt’s Ministry of Health said there were ۴۷ casualties, including about ۳۰ injured. Victims were rushed to hospital in the nearby town of El-Kassasin.

“Most of the dead are children ۱۳ and ۱۴ years old,” a medical source at the hospital told AFP. The youngest victim was ۱۰ years old

The workers were mostly from two villages in Sharqiya governorate and were employed on a farm in Ismailia, a local security source said.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had ordered an investigation into the accident and the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Ministry of Labour said it would provide financial assistance to the families of those killed and to injured workers.

Pick-up trucks are a common way for Egypt’s informal workers to reach their jobs. At least ۱.۳ million minors are engaged in child labour, according to official figures.

Road fatalities and injuries in the country have risen by more than ۱۰ percent, according to Egypt’s state statistics agency. Children under ۱۵ recorded the highest toll from such incidents.