Nine killed in Egypt coach crash

1 May, 2008 10:32 / Updated 17 years ago

The head of Russia's Tourist Industry Union now says no Russians have died in the accident. Earlier it was reported that two Russian holiday-makers were among nine tourists killed in a coach crash in Egypt.

Thirty people are reported injured, fourteen of whom are Russians. The bus was travelling from the popular resort of Sharm-El-Sheikh to the country's capital, Cairo. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle on a sharp curve in the road and overturned. A fire broke out and many of the victims were badly burnt. The intensity of the blaze has also made the task of identifying the bodies difficult. The tourists are thought to be from Russia, Canada, and Italy. The crash happened at 6 am local time, with most of the passengers still asleep during the overnight trip. The coach rolled over three or four times before bursting into flames, according to a witness.