Deaths in a horrific accident in Egypt... and talk of a "song flash drive"

The Egyptian MOH announced the death of 8 passengers                                 

Deaths in a horrific accident in Egypt... and talk of a "song flash drive"

The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced on Monday the death of 8 passengers and the injury of 14 others in a passenger bus rollover accident in Minya Governorate, Upper Egypt (240 km) south of Cairo.

The ministry reported, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, that "34 ambulances were immediately dispatched to the site of the bus rollover accident, which occurred Monday morning on the Eastern Desert Road in Beni Mazar, Minya Governorate, heading towards Cairo."

The ministry indicated in a preliminary report that the injured were transferred to Samalut Model Hospital for treatment and necessary medical care. 

Initial investigations by criminal investigation officers revealed that the bus was carrying a number of passengers heading from Cairo to the governorates of Qena, Sohag, and Luxor, including a number of residents of Ismailia and Suez. The driver then lost control of the steering wheel, causing the bus to overturn.

Discussion on the Causes of the Accident

An Egyptian newspaper quoted one of the injured as saying that the cause of the accident was the bus driver's distraction while playing a flash drive. Sabry Omar Radwan, a bus passenger who suffered a broken leg and is receiving treatment at Samalut Specialized Hospital, said that he lives in Qena Governorate.

 During the trip, a movie was playing on the television when a passenger suddenly asked him to play some songs to entertain the passengers during the long journey.

While the driver was playing the flash drive loaded with songs, the steering wheel slipped out of his hand, causing the bus to overturn. He added that all passengers sustained various injuries due to the severity of the impact: "The accident was very severe, and most of the injured were in a state of shock."