8 killed in road accident south of Cairo

Eight people were killed and seven others injured on Thursday when a microbus collided with a lorry south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, state-run Ahram Gate news website reported.



The accident occurred on the ring road leading to Helwan, the report said, adding that ambulances rushed to the scene and transported the injured to nearby hospitals.



The public prosecution has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances and causes of the crash.



Road accidents claim thousands of lives in Egypt every year, mostly due to speeding, negligence of traffic rules and poor road maintenance.



The Egyptian government has been upgrading the country's road network to ease traffic congestion and reduce accidents.