An initial drug test indicated that the driver, who was himself injured in the accident, had been under the influence, according to an official statement released by the prosecution on Saturday evening.

The deadly accident occurred when the minibus – which was carrying 30 passengers including students – overturned and fell into a canal off the Cairo-Mansoura Road in Daqahliya governorate in the Nile Delta.

An investigation team from the prosecution examined victims’ bodies and interviewed the injured, who reported that the driver has been speaking on his mobile phone at the time of the accident.

They also reported that the driver had been speeding and failed to avoid another vehicle that cut in front of the bus.

The driver, however, denied these allegations, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution ordered the referral of the driver the Department of Forensic Medicine to conduct a final drug test.

The investigations are still ongoing, concluded the statement.

Egypt’s Ministry of Social solidarity has announced that it is disbursing EGP 25,000 to the families of the dead (or EGP 50,000 if the victim is the family breadwinner), and EGP 5,000 to each of the injured victims.

The ministry also announced that the families of the victims will be registered in the Takaful and Karama cash support programme.