Egyptian coach crash

A coach crash has killed at least seven people in Egypt's Sinai peninsula. British nationals are reported to have been travelling on the tourist bus which overturned at a sharp curve in the road as it headed from the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to the Egyptian capital, Cairo and caught fire.

16 people were also injured when the coach crashed whilst carrying around 40 tourists from Canada, Italy, Russia and the Ukraine, as well as the UK.

Reports indicate that the bus was gutted in the accident, many of the victims suffered severe burns and the death toll is expected to rise.

According to the latest statistics at least 8,000 people were killed in accidents on Egyptian roads in 2006 with speeding, careless driving and poor road conditions given as the most common cause of these deaths.

Egyptian bus crash claims

Clive Garner, Head of Travel Law team at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors said "The regulations we have in the UK to ensure our safety when travelling on coaches and buses, including rigorous vehicle and driver tests, are often taken for granted by British holiday makers when travelling abroad.

"However our experience of representing hundreds of Britons involved in more than 25 coach crashes around the world has taught us that safety standards in many countries, including some of the more exotic holiday destinations popular with British tourists are often significantly below those in the UK.

"We continue to call for improved measures to protect coach travellers abroad including stricter licensing and monitoring of coach drivers and operators, more rigorous maintenance of  coaches and the avoidance of dangerous routes by bus and tour operators particularly in adverse weather conditions.

In the scheme of things, these simple improvements will cost little while they will significantly reduce the risks to coach passengers of injury and death abroad."

If you or a loved one has been injured in a road traffic accident while on holiday or working abroad, our specialist holiday accidents & illness claims team could help you to secure the compensation you deserve. See our Road Traffic Accident Abroad Claims page for more information.