The death toll from a head-on collision between two pickup trucks carrying day laborers in open cargo beds in Ismailiya governorate rose to 18 on Wednesday, as prosecutors released initial findings from their investigation into the crash.
The Public Prosecution has launched a formal inquiry into vehicle safety and driver sobriety while two investigative teams assess the crash site and hospital casualties.
According to a Public Prosecution statement issued Wednesday, the crash occurred Tuesday morning in the Al-Dawawis area of Al-Qassasin. Investigators determined that the right rear tire of one pickup truck suffered a blowout, causing the driver to lose control, veer into oncoming traffic, and crash into the second pickup. Both vehicles were transporting daily-wage laborers in their open beds.
Updated casualty reports as of 4 am confirmed 18 fatalities, according to a Ministry of Health and Population announcement Wednesday. Emergency responders transferred all victims to government hospitals across Ismailiya governorate.
The crash, which also left 30 workers injured between the ages of 9 and 50, highlights the continuous operational dangers faced by Egypt’s informal workforce, who are routinely transported to work sites in hazardous, unequipped open vehicles.
As of Wednesday morning, 17 injured workers were receiving treatment in Healthcare Authority facilities, while 13 others had been discharged following medical care.
Prosecutorial authorities dispatched two separate teams: one to inspect the crash site and another to examine the deceased and question survivors and their families at regional hospitals.
Prosecutors took statements from five discharged workers, who confirmed the tire blowout account and agreed to settle injury-related claims.
However, investigators were unable to question 20 injured survivors on Tuesday, including the drivers of both pickup trucks, due to their severe medical conditions. Questioning will resume as their conditions stabilize.
In the interim, the Public Prosecution authorized burial permits for the victims, appointed a forensic technical expert to assess the structural state of both pickup trucks, and ordered drug screening samples from both drivers.
