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Dozens Injured after Bus Overturns in Sharm el-Sheikh

A bus overturned in Sinai (The Directorate of Health and Population in Suez)
A bus overturned in Sinai (The Directorate of Health and Population in Suez)
    Cairo - Mohammed Ajam
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Dozens Injured after Bus Overturns in Sharm el-Sheikh

A bus overturned in Sinai (The Directorate of Health and Population in Suez)
A bus overturned in Sinai (The Directorate of Health and Population in Suez)

A bus overturned in South Sinai, injuring 47 people, including children, on Monday, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population.

The Ministry announced in a statement that 26 ambulances had been dispatched to the site of the accident on Oyoun Mousa in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Ministry stated that the initial outcome indicates that 47 passengers were injured, 43 were transferred to General Suez Hospital, and four were transferred to Ras Sedr Hospital.

The Directorate of Health and Population in Suez announced that the General Hospital received 43 injured people, including seven Palestinians.

It explained that the bus was coming from Alexandria en route to Sharm El-Sheikh, pointing out that it immediately dispatched ambulances to the scene.

The injuries varied between fractures and bruises.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Population in Suez, Ismail el-Hefnawi, followed up on the injured. He directed health institutions to provide care to the wounded.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in South Sinai, Ayman Rakha, said in a press statement that the injured people transferred to Ras Sedr Hospital were in stable condition, and all radiology and medical analyzes are being conducted to ensure their safety.

The bus belongs to one of the private tourism companies in Alexandria, which told Asharq Al-Awsat that the bus was carrying passengers to Sharm El-Sheikh, as part of the company's domestic tourism program during the mid-year vacation.

The company refused to provide any details about the causes of the accident and the number of passengers inside the bus at the time of the accident.

Road traffic accidents in Egypt record high rates.

According to official figures issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, 2021 witnessed 7,101 deaths due to road accidents, a 15.2 percent increase compared to 2020, which saw 6,164 deaths.

In 2021, 51,511 were injured, a 9.3 percent drop from the previous year, which recorded 56,789 injuries.

Accidents cause dozens of deaths annually due to speed, road conditions, or poor application of traffic laws.

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Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
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Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 

The Syrian government is stepping up its security operations in Druze-majority towns in southern Syria, aiming to stabilize volatile areas in both rural Suwayda and the Damascus suburbs following recent sectarian unrest. Despite a newly brokered ceasefire, community leaders report that tensions remain in the districts of Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.

Government forces continue to expand their presence in Al-Surah, a town in northern Suwayda, in an effort to push back armed groups operating outside state control. The campaign comes amid fears of renewed violence, particularly after clashes earlier this week that were sparked by the leak of an audio recording allegedly featuring a Druze cleric making offensive comments about Islam.

The recording ignited two days of violent confrontations, starting in Jaramana on Tuesday and spreading to Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, resulting in multiple casualties.

On Wednesday evening, a high-level meeting in Damascus brought together the governors of Suwayda, Rural Damascus, and Quneitra, alongside prominent Druze clerics and community leaders. According to Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesperson for the “Men of Dignity” movement led by Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajjar, the meeting led to a ceasefire agreement and a plan to regulate arms in the region. Under the agreement, only personnel from the Ministries of Defense and Interior will be authorized to carry weapons.

Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the deal also authorizes General Security forces to enter Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and assume control, with assurances that civilians would be protected from attacks by any group. A joint oversight committee was established to monitor compliance with the agreement’s terms.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the Suwayda Governorate confirmed the preliminary ceasefire and emphasized the importance of a cooperative approach to halt bloodshed and restore calm. Security officials also declared the conclusion of a military operation in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, with security chief Hossam Al-Tahan reporting that government forces had entered all neighborhoods and begun efforts to restore order.

Despite these moves, local residents report that tensions are far from resolved. In Jaramana, civil society representative Rabih Munzer described the atmosphere as “tense” and said that checkpoints at the city’s entrances are now manned by local General Security forces. He noted that the recent agreement has yet to be enacted, and a previous deal signed in March remains unimplemented.

Responding to calls from Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Syria, Munzer stated: “We are responsible for our own words—not the words of others.” He also warned of continued provocations by armed groups surrounding the city, including sniper fire and sporadic gunshots targeting civilians.

Further south in Al-Surah, security deployments continue under the supervision of the Suwayda Governor and the commander of the Syrian Army’s 40th Division. State-run media released images of security forces in the area, including photos of the governor overseeing the operation to pave the way for displaced residents to return safely.

However, Abu Fakhr warned that several villages—Kanaker, Ara, Sass, Al-Surah, and Dama—remain under threat from what he described as jihadist groups.