At least 21 people have died in an Egypt bus crash on the coastal road linking Dahab and Nuweiba in South Sinai. Officials say the toll could still change as rescue teams finish clearing the wreckage.
The bus overturned early on Wednesday morning near the Al-Saada area. It was travelling towards Nuweiba, a Red Sea town roughly two hours from Sharm el-Sheikh.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population said 20 ambulances were sent to the scene. Emergency crews worked to free survivors from the wreckage before moving them to nearby hospitals.
The health ministry first put the Egypt bus crash death toll at 16, with 28 people injured. That figure climbed to 21 as more information reached officials in Cairo through the day.
Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the revised count reflected fresh details from hospitals treating the injured. Several remain in a critical condition.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Jordanian nationals were among those killed and hurt. A team from its embassy in Cairo is travelling to Nuweiba to check on the injured and arrange for bodies to be returned home.
Spokesman Fouad Majali said early information suggested the bus carried both Jordanian and Egyptian passengers. A final breakdown of nationalities had not been released by Wednesday evening.
Jordan’s state broadcaster, Al-Mamlaka, separately reported that ten Jordanians had died, and that the bus was carrying 43 people in total. Egyptian authorities have not independently confirmed that figure.
Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar directed hospitals in South Sinai to give the injured the highest level of care available. Solidarity Minister Maya Morsy ordered emergency relief support for families caught up in the Egypt bus crash.
Egyptian authorities have not yet given an official cause for the Egypt bus crash. Early accounts point to excessive speed on a stretch of road that winds along cliffs above the Red Sea.
The Dahab-Nuweiba road cuts through some of South Sinai’s most rugged coastline. It is a route favoured by tourists moving between the diving town of Dahab and the quieter beaches near Nuweiba.
Buses and minivans use the road daily, carrying visitors and workers along the Red Sea coast. Past accidents there have often been blamed on sharp bends, poor lighting and drivers pushing speed limits to keep to tight schedules.
Road deaths remain a persistent problem across Egypt. The latest Egypt bus crash has renewed scrutiny of safety standards on tourist routes, particularly in South Sinai where winding coastal roads can pose challenges for drivers. Government figures show fatalities from road accidents rose by 10.8 per cent to 5,829 in 2025.
Injuries climbed 10.7 per cent to 84,553 over the same period, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics. Officials have repeatedly pointed to reckless driving, ageing vehicle fleets and gaps in road maintenance as recurring factors behind crashes like this one.
Families in Jordan and Egypt are now waiting for confirmation of exactly who was on board. Diplomats in Cairo say more details are expected once hospitals finish assessing the injured.
Egyptian investigators are still working to establish what caused the vehicle to overturn, on a road that thousands of tourists travel every week without incident. This Egypt bus crash will likely add fresh pressure on officials to address safety on one of South Sinai’s busiest tourist routes.
