17 injured after car crashes into café at Egypt's Ain Sokhna resort

Dubai- Seventeen people were injured after a car driven by an Egyptian woman crashed into an open-air café at the Lasirena Resort in Ain Sokhna, authorities said on Thursday, in an accident that eyewitnesses said turned a quiet afternoon into panic.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the woman mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the vehicle to surge forward, veer off course and plough into the café's outdoor seating area, striking customers.

The incident occurred inside the Lasirena tourist resort in Egypt's Suez Governorate, where visitors were seated at the café when the vehicle entered the area at speed, according to local media reports.

Witnesses told investigators that the woman was learning to drive inside the resort. Her husband reportedly said he had left the car parked before a cleaner asked for it to be moved to allow cleaning work to continue. The woman then took the driver's seat and started the engine but accidentally accelerated instead of braking, investigators said.

Ambulances were dispatched immediately after emergency services received reports of the crash. Twelve of the injured were taken to the Suez Medical Complex for treatment, while five others, including the driver, received first aid at the scene after sustaining minor injuries.

Dr Ahmed Attia, director of the Suez Medical Complex, said the injured suffered fractures, bruises and abrasions, adding that all were in stable condition and no fatalities had been reported.

Police secured the scene and impounded the vehicle while prosecutors opened an investigation. They also ordered the retrieval of surveillance camera footage from around the café to establish the sequence of events and determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.