CAIRO: Nineteen people were killed and six others were injured when a bus fell into a canal in northern Egypt on Saturday, the country’s health ministry said.

The bus was carrying some 35 people when it derailed on a highway and fell into Mansuriya canal in Aga town, in the northern governorate of Daqahlia, according to security sources.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt where roads are often poorly maintained and driving rules flouted.

In 2021, around 7,000 people were killed on the roads of the Arab world’s most populous country, according to official figures.

In July, 25 people died and 35 were injured in central Egypt when a bus crashed into a truck parked on the side of the road.