At least five people died and 17 were injured in the early hours of Sunday in two road accidents — one in Upper Egypt and the other near the capital Cairo — Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Two died and 16 others were injured in Upper Egypt's Sohag governorate as a bus capsized in a canal.

According to state news agency MENA, the 16 injuried were mostly female school pupils.

Mohamed Abdel Al, an official in the Ministry of Health, told MENA that the injuries differ from wounds to fractures, while the deceased had not yet been identified.

In the accident near Cairo, a 46-year-old driver and his two sons died in on Al-Sahrawy Highway between Cairo and Alexandria. It has been reported that one other was injured in the crash.

The three dead were transported to the nearest hospital and the general prosecution was informed to investigate the accident.

Reckless driving caused the death of 19 in early November in Egypt's Beheira governorate when a school bus hit a truck.

Road accidents are frequent across Egypt due to a lack of road maintenance and loosely implemented traffic laws. Last Sunday, 10 Sohag University students died in an accident on Kawamel road.

A recent government report said that 100,000 car accidents took place in Egypt from 2008 to 2012, with 33,000 killed and another 150,000 injured.

In 2012, a school bus collided with a train killing over 50 students in Upper Egypt’s Assiut, sparking anger nationwide.