South African tourists visiting Cairo on an Egyptian tour were attacked and injured when a roadside exploded next to a bus of tourists, close to the Giza pyramids in Cairo. This may also be a blow to the Egyptian tourism industry.
Egypt based Dominant Səyahət provided the bus to Cairo-based Meryland Tours.
Tourists were in a state of shock, 17 were injured, luckily no one died in the terror attack meant to harm Egypt’s travel and tourism industry.
Images of the aftermath of the attack broadcast on Egyptian state television showed shocked tourists, one with a bloodstained T-shirt, disembarking a bus with its windows blown out and the windscreen cracked. The explosion also ripped a hole through a nearby wall, close to the construction site of the Grand Egyptian Museum. The museum is scheduled to open next year attracting more visitors to the Pyramides.
The attack wounded at least 10 Egyptians and 7 South African tourists according to initial estimates from a source at Egypt’s ministry of health. They added that most of the injuries were caused by shock and broken glass falling on to the group.
Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram said that an “unknown device” exploded close to the bus, and struck a nearby car carrying four Egyptian citizens.
Many countries have travel advisories in place for their citizens to visit Egypt.
eTN reached out to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism for comments, but there was no response.