In a statement, the health ministry said the accident occurred in Dakahlia province, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of the capital Cairo. Dr. Sheriff McKeen, a health ministry official, said three children were among the dead. The head of police investigations in the province said the driver may have lost control of the vehicle. According to Sky News Arabia, rescue teams are still searching for people in the water. Fatal road accidents claim thousands of lives each year in Egypt, which has a poor record of transport safety. Accidents and collisions are mainly caused by excessive speed, bad roads or poor application of traffic rules. In July, a passenger bus hit a parked truck in the southern province of Minya, killing 23 people and injuring 30. In October, a truck crashed into a minibus in Dakahlia, killing at least 10 people, authorities said.
