Tragic collision on Egypt's Red Sea highway: 2 dead, 39 injured in tourist bus crash

Dubai: Two people have been killed and 39 others injured, including Russians, after a tourist bus collided with a heavy truck on Egypt’s Red Sea coastal highway near Ras Gharib, north of Hurghada, early on Tuesday morning, Al Masry Al Youm reported.

According to security and medical sources, the victims include the driver of the tourist bus and a passenger, while the injured comprise 27 Russian tourists, seven Finns, two Lithuanians, and three Egyptians, including the tour guide and the lorry driver. The crash was described by officials as one of the most serious accidents on this route this year.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the bus’s front section was destroyed due to the impact, leaving several passengers critically injured. The bus was reportedly carrying a group of foreign tourists on an organised excursion from Hurghada to Cairo.

Several ambulances were dispatched to the scene, with all the injured transferred to Ras Gharib Central Hospital for emergency treatment. Medical teams said several patients remain under observation due to the severity of their injuries.

Authorities, including the Ministry of Tourism and foreign embassies, have been notified to provide consular assistance to the affected tourists. The Ras Gharib Prosecution has opened an investigation and ordered a field inspection of the crash site, along with the collection of CCTV footage and witness statements.

Initial findings suggest the accident may have been caused by driver distraction or excessive speed, though the precise cause has yet to be confirmed.

Transport experts and residents have repeatedly called for a dedicated lane for heavy vehicles along the busy coastal road, which has witnessed numerous fatal accidents in recent years, particularly during the peak winter tourism season.