Get you up to speed: Truck crash in Egypt kills 18, many of them child labourers
At least 18 people, primarily children aged 13 and 14, were killed when a pick-up truck crashed in the Al-Dawawis area of Ismailia governorate, Egypt. The Ministry of Health reported a total of 47 casualties, including around 30 injuries, with victims taken to a hospital in El-Kassasin.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has ordered an investigation into the crash, while the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Ministry of Labour will provide financial assistance to the victims’ families and injured workers. The incident highlights broader issues, as at least 1.3 million minors are engaged in child labour in Egypt, with road fatalities among children under 15 rising by over 10 per cent according to state statistics.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has ordered an investigation into the accident, while the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Ministry of Labour announced financial assistance for the victims’ families and the injured. Following the incident, concerns over child labour in Egypt have re-emerged, with 1.3 million minors reported to be engaged in such work, highlighting the need for systemic change to prevent future tragedies.
What remains unclear — It is not specified what measures will be implemented following the investigation ordered by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Truck crash in Egypt claims 18 lives, including many child labourers
News|Child RightsTruck crash in Egypt kills 18, many of them child labourers
Most of the dead are age 13 and 14, medical source says
Published On 11 Aug 202611 Aug 2026
At least 18 people, many of them children, have died when a pick-up truck carrying agricultural labourers crashed in Egypt.
The crash on Tuesday happened on a link road in the Al-Dawawis area of Ismailia governorate, according to Egypt’s Al-Ahram news.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health said there were 47 casualties, including about 30 injured. Victims were rushed to hospital in the nearby town of El-Kassasin.
“Most of the dead are children 13 and 14 years old,” a medical source at the hospital told AFP. The youngest victim was 10 years old
The workers were mostly from two villages in Sharqiya governorate and were employed on a farm in Ismailia, a local security source said.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had ordered an investigation into the accident and the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Ministry of Labour said it would provide financial assistance to the families of those killed and to injured workers.
Pick-up trucks are a common way for Egypt’s informal workers to reach their jobs. At least 1.3 million minors are engaged in child labour, according to official figures.
Road fatalities and injuries in the country have risen by more than 10 percent, according to Egypt’s state statistics agency. Children under 15 recorded the highest toll from such incidents.