23 dead after highway crash near Cairo

Cairo: Twenty-three people died late on Sunday when a police vehicle collided into a truck on the highway between Cairo and Alexandria, police said.

Fifteen people were declared dead at the scene of the crash, while eight others died from their injuries after they reached the hospital. Most of the fatalities were police officers.

At least 12 others were injured in the crash, which occurred shortly after nightfall on the main highway linking the Egyptian capital with the northern city on the Mediterranean coast, the official said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Road accidents are very common in Egypt due to bad roads and poor enforcement of traffic laws. Police estimate road accidents kill about 6,000 people annually.