HURGHADA, Egypt (BN24)— At least two people have died and dozens more were injured when a coach carrying tourists collided with a truck early Tuesday near a popular beach resort on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. The accident occurred in the predawn hours along the Hurghada-Cairo highway near Ras Ghareb, roughly 150 kilometers north of Hurghada, authorities said.
Officials confirmed that the fatalities include the coach driver and a Russian citizen traveling on board. A total of 36 passengers suffered injuries, including 24 foreign tourists, some of whom sustained severe trauma. Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene, transporting the injured to hospitals in Ras Ghareb and surrounding areas. Several tourists were reported stable enough to be returned to their hotels in Hurghada, while travel agency representatives remained on-site to assist with logistics and medical coordination.
The coach belonged to a Red Sea tourism company and had departed from Hurghada, heading north along one of Egypt’s main highways. The exact destination of the bus remains unclear, though travel companies often use coaches to transport tourists from Red Sea resorts to cultural and historical attractions, including the Pyramids of Giza, approximately three hours away by road. Hurghada itself is located about 290 miles south of Cairo, and the drive along the Ras Ghareb-Hurghada route generally takes around five hours.
The Russian Consulate General in Hurghada reported the accident on the social media platform X, saying, “At approximately 4:00 a.m. on November 11, an accident occurred on the Hurghada-Cairo highway near Ras Ghareb. A tourist bus collided with a truck. One Russian citizen and the bus driver were killed. The injured are receiving emergency medical care at a hospital in Ras Ghareb. Some of the tourists are being prepared to return to their hotels in Hurghada. Representatives from travel agencies are working at the scene.”
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by Egyptian authorities. Local reports indicate that the coach may have collided with a heavy truck in the early hours, but details regarding speed, road conditions, or potential driver error have not yet been released.
The incident follows a series of fatal transport accidents in Egypt, highlighting ongoing safety concerns. Last September, three people, including two children, were killed in the Nile Delta city of Zagazig when two passenger trains collided, injuring at least 49 others. Footage from that crash showed crumpled carriages surrounded by onlookers, with rescuers lifting injured passengers through windows. Egypt’s railway system, which has suffered from aging infrastructure and mismanagement, has been subject to government initiatives aimed at improving safety and reliability in recent years.
Authorities have urged travelers to exercise caution when using road and rail transport, particularly on long-distance routes connecting tourist destinations to Cairo and other major cities. Emergency responders continue to monitor the condition of the injured, while investigations into the bus-truck collision are ongoing.
