A terrible road accident occurred in the Beheira region of Egypt. More than two dozen vehicles collided simultaneously on a highway in the area. At least 32 people have died. At least 60 others were injured. Al Jazeera news.
According to local media, the accident happened on Saturday morning (October 28). A passenger bus bound for the capital Cairo hit a parked car on the highway.
Then some other cars hit the two cars at high speed. Several cars caught fire.
State media Al Ahram reported that the fatal collision between several vehicles took place on the Cairo-Alexandria highway near Wadi al-Natrun. The site is at least 160 kilometers north of the capital Cairo.
In the picture published on social media, it was seen that a lorry was lying upside down in the fastest lane of the road. A large bus and a minibus were also seen destroyed in the fire. Besides, some cars are also on fire.
The image also shows a plume of black smoke rising into the sky. Passers-by are watching the scene nearby. Rescuers reached the spot immediately after the accident. After that, the injured were rescued and taken to the hospital by ambulance.
According to the official data of Egypt, the most populous country among the Arab-African countries, 7 thousand people died in road accidents in the country in 2021.
Al Ahram's report also stated that 29 vehicles collided. Six vehicles including a passenger bus were gutted in the fire. It also said that at least 18 people died of burns in the accident.
It is believed that this terrible road accident happened due to bad weather. Egyptian meteorological authorities had warned of dense fog on the highway a day earlier, local media reported.
Israel attack on security posts in Egypt
An Israeli attack took place on a security checkpoint on the border with Egypt in the Gaza Strip of Palestine. The Israel Defense Forces have expressed regret, calling the incident an "accident".
According to the BBC, an Israeli tank shot hit a security checkpoint in Kerem Shalom, Egypt, on the Gaza border.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) says that a shell fired from one of its tanks near the Gaza border accidentally hit an Egyptian position.
According to the statement, the incident is being investigated. Details are being reviewed to find out how this happened. The IDF expressed regret for the incident.
However, the IDF did not provide detailed information on whether there were any casualties or damage due to the accidental firing of Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, on Sunday (October 22), 17 relief trucks entered Gaza from Egypt's Rafah crossing. Earlier on Saturday, 20 trucks with various types of relief goods arrived in Gaza after the war started. There was no fuel in these trucks.
Al Jazeera reported that the trucks that went to Gaza on Sunday contained much-needed medical equipment. No food or fuel was sent that day.
Why Egypt is reluctant to open the Rafah crossing?
The Gaza Strip is now virtually devastated by Israeli airstrikes. Meanwhile, the Israeli army is conducting a ground operation on the border. The overall situation in the valley is rapidly deteriorating due to Israel's total blockade.
Food and water are running out fast. A humanitarian disaster could ensue if relief aid does not arrive soon. Even in such a situation, Egypt, the controlling country of the crossing, is struggling to open the Rafah crossing, known as "Gaza's lifeline".
The Rafah crossing is one of the two land border crossings that connect the Gaza Strip to the Mediterranean Sea. which controls Egypt.
As Gaza faces a humanitarian crisis in the ongoing conflict between the Gaza-based Palestinian independence armed group Hamas and Israel, the world's eyes are on the crucial border crossing.
Thousands of Palestinians are waiting across the border, inside Gaza, for aid. And on the other side, in parts of Egypt, hundreds of lorries carrying relief aid are standing. They will enter Gaza once they receive a green signal from the authorities.
But there is no sign of opening of the crossing till now. On Monday (October 16), Egyptian authorities said that Israel is not cooperating with the opening of the Rafah crossing. Also said, 'Rafa crossing is not closed. However, due to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza part of the crossing, it is immobilized.
Cairo has strictly controlled movement through the Rafah crossing for years. The crackdown has many Palestinians complaining that Egypt is strengthening Israel's blockade of Gaza. Israel has blockaded the valley since Hamas took full control of the valley in 2007.
The BBC says Egypt's control of the Rafah crossing is mainly due to security concerns in North Sinai. Egyptian authorities have long been embroiled in a bloody conflict with al Qaeda-linked rebels in the region.
But now the reason for Egypt's current reluctance to open the crossing is a bit different. Gazans are fleeing from Israeli airstrikes. Egypt does not want these Palestinians to cross the crossing and enter their country.
This has also been made clear by the UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths. He said Egyptian authorities feared a large number of Gazans could cross into their country. As a result, they may need to take care of them for an indefinite period of time.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, besides Jordan and Turkey, hundreds of trucks with humanitarian aid sent by several other countries are waiting at the Rafah crossing.
But the trucks have not yet been given a permit to cross the border into Gaza. As a result, the issue of sending relief to Gaza has also become uncertain.
The Gaza Strip is a territory surrounded on three sides. There is Israel on both sides and Egypt on the other side. The other side is the Mediterranean Sea. A group of Gazans are trying to enter the Egyptian border to escape the Israeli attack. But Egypt is not willing to give shelter to Gazans.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said, "The situation in Gaza is dire now. But Egypt is not among them. We cannot give asylum to citizens of other countries. I can't afford them.
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