At least 18 people, most of them teenagers, were killed today in a collision between two small trucks carrying agricultural workers in northern Egypt, a medical source told Agence France-Presse.
“Most of the dead are teenagers aged 13 or 14,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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The youngest victim was 10 years old, according to the local media outlet Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Despite the dangers, pickup trucks are a common means of transportation for millions of workers in the informal sector, including minors, and are often overloaded.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health had previously reported an initial toll of 47 victims, including about 30 injured.
The accident occurred on a road in the Ismailia governorate.
The passengers, most of whom were from two villages in the Nile Delta, “were on their way to work at a farm,” according to a security source.
A collision between two vehicles carrying workers in the Al-Dawais area of Egypt’s Ismailia Governorate left more than 18 dead and 32 injured, amid investigations to determine the circumstances of the accident. #Egypt pic.twitter.com/t54cuQrZdZ
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Child labor is a persistent problem in Egypt, affecting at least 1.3 million minors, according to official figures. These children are regularly victims of traffic accidents.
The informal economy accounts for 67% of employment in Egypt and nearly the entire agricultural sector, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The total number of undeclared workers in the country, who work under precarious conditions in terms of employment and safety, is estimated at 8 to 13 million people, and they are primarily employed in agriculture, construction, and industry.
Source: APE-MPE
