Twenty-five people were killed and 29 others injured on Sunday in two separate road accidents in Egypt, where poor road and traffic regulations kill thousands each year, officials said.

One accident took place on the highway linking Cairo to the Mediterranean coast further north when a minibus collided with a truck killing 13 people and injuring four, said a health ministry official.

Twelve people were killed and 25 injured in the other accident when a bus overturned near the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada, medics and security officials said.

The driver of the bus, which was carrying hotel employees from Hurghada to Cairo,  apparently lost control of the vehicle causing it to overturn, they said.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt, where roads are often poorly maintained and traffic regulations little enforced.

The World Health Organisation says they account for nearly 12,000 deaths annually.