A bus accident in Monshat el-Kanater town in Giza province, Egypt claimed the lives of at least nine Egyptian women and children on Tuesday, leaving nine other passengers injured, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The accident happened when a small bus carrying about two dozen people slid off a ferry and plunged into the Nile River just outside Cairo.
Out of the nine who died, four were minors. Six of the injured were treated at the site while three others were transferred to hospitals.
Although the cause of the accident is still unclear, Giza provincial Gov. Ahmed Rashed said the bus was retrieved from the river and rescue efforts were still underway as of midday Tuesday.
There were about 24 passengers and they were heading to work, according to the state-owned Akhbar daily. The driver was detained by security forces.
Melissa Enoch
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