CAIRO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and three others wounded in a two-truck collision early Wednesday in the northeastern Egyptian province of Sharqia, state-run Akhbar el-Yom news website reported.
The victims and the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital in Bilbeis district of Sharqia, and prosecutors are investigating the cause of the accident, according to the report.
Local media reported that a truck driver was arrested and his truck was seized pending investigation.
Road accidents claim thousands of lives in Egypt every year, mostly due to speeding, negligence of traffic laws, and poor road maintenance.
In recent years, Egypt has upgraded its road network to ease traffic congestion and reduce accidents.
Road accident fatalities in Egypt declined from 7,762 in 2022 to 5,861 in 2023, marking a 24.5 percent decrease, Egypt's official statistics agency CAPMAS said in a report in May. ■