Australians killed in Egypt crash

Some of tourists on the bus were police officers

Six Australians have been killed and 24 wounded in a bus crash near the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

The tourist bus overturned on Tuesday night in wet conditions on the main Cairo-Alexander highway, about 46km (29 miles) north of Cairo.

The injured were taken to a hospital in Cairo. None of them were in a life-threatening condition.

Egypt has one the highest traffic accident rates in the world.

Police say around 6,000 Egyptians die in road accidents each year. Many drivers ignore road safety regulations and roads are often poorly maintained.

'Awful'

"I am very sad to report that there's been a very serious accident in Egypt in which a number of Australians have been involved," Mr Downer told reporters in Sydney.

"Our ambassador is on the scene and doing what he can to try to assist, including with the Egyptian authorities."

The foreign minister said he believed the Australians were from Victoria, Queensland.

A nurse from Melbourne who witnessed the crash from a second bus travelling alongside, said the scene was horrendous.

"The first girl I came to... had passed away and the next person, he also was dead," Barbara Kennedy told ABC News.

"It was just awful."

Some of tourists on the bus were police officers.

"I understand that three of our members were involved. Two are alright and one was injured," Northern Territory Police Association President Vince Kelly said.