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Truck driver responsible for school bus crash arrested - interior ministry
Medics and security forces transport victims from the scene of a car crash on an agricultural road in Beheira on November 5, 2014. Photo by Aswat Masriya.
CAIRO, Nov 6 (Aswat Masriya) - The ministry of interior announced on Thursday the arrest of the truck driver believed to be responsible for the school bus crash on an agricultural road in Beheira which left 18 killed.
The ministry said in a statement the driver confessed fleeing the scene of the crash in fear of being attacked by the residents.
The prosecution ordered his detention four days pending investigation. He is accused of manslaughter and carelessness.
A preliminary technical report issued on the school bus crash which occurred early Wednesday owed the accident to the "carelessness" of a speeding truck driver. The crash left at least 17 others injured.
Egypt's cabinet issued on Wednesday evening a new legislation restricting trucks' traffic hours within cities to nighttime in reaction to the deadly crash.
The new decision, which will be enacted starting November 15, only allows trucks to drive through cities from 11 pm to 6 am.
Prime Minister Ibrahim vowed that there will be a "firm stand" with "undisciplined" truck drivers. He mandated the cabinet's legal advisers committee to draft "deterrent" legislation that would limit road accidents earlier on Wednesday.
The cabinet also approved a draft law submitted by the presidency amending the traffic law in a manner which stipulates harsher penalties for wrong-way driving, driving under influence or exceeding the speed limit.
The draft law will be referred to the State Council for revision before being issued by the president.
Road accidents are a common occurrence in Egypt, being among the prime causes of death in the Arab world's most populous country.
According to a report released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in June, the number of car accidents occurring in Egypt in 2013 rose by 0.4 percent when compared to the 2012 figure.
This is the second deadly road accident to take place in Egypt this week.A microbus carrying university students crashed into a truck in Sohag on Sunday, leaving at least 10 female students killed.
