CAIRO: At least 15 students were killed on Monday when their bus overturned on a road south of Cairo, a security official said.
Another 24 students were injured in the accident which occurred about 30 km south of Cairo when the group was on its way from Minya to the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
The Coptic students were returning from a church excursion.
This is an initial toll – many of the victims were taken to hospital in a serious condition, the security official said.
Egypt s roads are among the most chaotic and dangerous in the world, with traffic laws widely flouted.
Road accidents kill about 6,000 people and cause 30,000 injuries each year, also because of poor upkeep of vehicles, according to the transport ministry.
A new highway code came into force in August with the aim of improving road safety.
Egypt s Copts — the largest Christian community in the Middle East – account for an estimated six to 10 percent of the country s 80 million inhabitants. -AFP
