19 killed, 30 injured after deadly car crash: Health Ministry

CAIRO – 5 August 2019: A total of 19 people were killed and 30 were injured late Sunday after a wrong-way driving car crashed into three other vehicles, causing a huge explosion outside the Cairo-University affiliated National Cancer Institute in Giza, said a Health Ministry statement.


Remains of crashed cars involved in deadly accidents that hit Central Cairo, killing 19 people - Egypt Today


Cancer Institute director Hatem Abu el-Kassim denied rumors about explosion of an oxygen cylinder inside the hospital, ensuring that the blast took place outside the institute, and that the casualties were pedestrians who were close to the crash.

All the injured were transferred to Nasser Institute, Mounira, and Kasr al-Aini hospitals, said Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed. He added that a total of 42 ambulance vehicles were deployed to the crash site immediately to transfer injuries to receive needed treatment, and that there was a bag of human remains.


Pedestrians standing outside Cancer Instiute after deadly car crash that killed 19, injured 30 Sunday - Egypt Today


“There are around four seriously injured cases that were registered into the intensive care unit, while other injuries varied between mild to moderate bone break. There are different levels of burns, and cuts and bruises across the injuries’ bodies,” Megahed explained.

The spokesperson said that the Health Minister Hala Zayed directed to evacuate 54 patients at the Cancer Hospital, and to transfer 30 of them to Nasser Institute, while the rest will be transferred to Dar al-Salam Hospital, stressing to provide the patients with all necessary medical care.


Ambulance vehicle transfering patients to hospitals to receive treatment after deadly car crash hit Central Cairo Sunday - Egypt Today

The minister ordered to raise the utmost degree of readiness, with professors and consultants from different specialties in micro-surgery were summoned, and blood availability at blood banks at Kasr al-Ainy hospital was assured.

“All the casualties were pedestrians, while the patients and the workers at the Cancer institute were not affected,” according to a press statement released by the media office of the Cairo University.

The statement also said that the explosion resulted from a multi-vehicle crash, after a car moved fast in the wrong direction of the street, causing a huge explosion sound, while some vehicles charred.

“The accident took place near the administrative building of the hospital far away from the patients’ room,” said the statement, adding that an emergency room and operations room were formed led by the Cairo University president to follow up the developments of the accident. Kasr al-Aini hospitals were prepared to receive any injuries from the accident.

Cairo University President Mohamed Othman el-Khost and a number of university leaders headed to the crash site to follow up on the status of the patients.

A total of 10 fire vehicles were deployed to the accident site to put out the blaze resulted from the crash.


Remains of crashed cars involved in deadly accidents that hit Central Cairo, killing 19 people - Egypt Today

Egypt’s Attorney General Nabil Sadiq has assigned South Cairo Prosecution to pursue investigation into the deadly crash.

With official bodies still investigating the accident, the reason for the crash; however, has been confirmed to be due to a speedy wrong-driving car that crashed into three others near the cancer institute.

The current Egyptian traffic law has set a punishment for violating road directions that result in injuries or deaths, where the violator will be fined up to L.E. 15,000, with the car license cancelled and the driving license withdrawn.


Remains of crashed cars involved in deadly accidents that hit Central Cairo, killing 19 people - Egypt Today

Egypt has harshened punishments set in its traffic law as a bid to counter the rising rate of road accidents that claim the lives of 12,000 annually. A recent report by the country’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) stated that there was a 17.8 percent drop in the number of accidents in 2018 recording 8,480, compared to 11,098 in 2017.

Human error constitutes the top cause for the road accidents in Egypt, recording 76.8 percent, technical malfunction recorded 15.7 percent, and problems with the road quality and maintenance recorded 2.7 percent. In May, the Transportation Ministry also announced that sleep deprivation is reported to be linked to 33 percent of road accidents in Egypt.