Cairo, Jan 20

 At least 19 people were killed in a road accident late Sunday on a desert highway in southern Egypt, official news agency MENA reported on Monday.

The accident happened when a bus collided with a truck en route to Cairo near the village of Karama in Aswan province, Xinhua reported citing MENA as quoting a health ministry statement.

The victims included five children, the statement said, adding at least three people were seriously wounded.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt due to badly maintained roads, disregard of traffic laws and lack of highway monitoring systems.

A 2012 World Health Organization report said 12,000 people died in such accidents every year in the country.

By:IANS