Pile-up kills 29 on Egyptian road

At least 29 people have been killed and 16 injured when nine cars and lorries slammed into each other on a fog-choked rural highway in Upper Egypt.

Reports quoting police sources said a bus collided with a minibus and at least six other vehicles then rammed into them in the fog.

The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, officials said.

Correspondents say crashes are common on Egyptian roads due to reckless driving and poor maintenance.

The crash about 100km (60 miles) south of Cairo temporarily blocked a main road leading to Egypt's southern provinces.

A number of the fatalities happened when people left their vehicles to check for damage and were hit by other traffic, police sources told Reuters news agency.

In recent years a series of road and rail crashes with high death tolls triggered public anger about the government's handling of transport safety.

Police say an estimated 6,000 people are killed every year in accidents on Egypt's roads.