Attack in Egypt: an explosion caused 17 injuries in a tourist bus near the Pyramids of Giza

A tourist bus that was touring the pyramids of Egypt was damaged this Sunday by an explosion, leaving a balance of at least 17 people injured, including several foreigners, local security forces reported.

The authorities have not yet confirmed whether there was an attack, although everything would indicate that an artifact was deliberately exploded by the bus, which was heading to the great Egyptian museum on the outskirts of Cairo and next to the famous Giza pyramids.

State television has indicated that the bus was carrying 25 South African tourists, some of which were "slightly" injured by the explosion that caused The windows of the bus were broken and a private car driven by Egyptians was damaged.

A source from Giza Provincial Commissariat General indicated EFE What the explosive device was placed next to a fence of the great Egyptian museum, which has not yet been inaugurated.

According to Egyptian television, several ambulances were sent to the scene of the explosion, without giving further details. As the sources pointed out the agency AFP that there were at least 17 wounded.

Images of the explosion zone the one that circulated on the social networks showed the damaged vehicle and its remains scattered on the road.

In Egypt attacks against the security forces are frequent and in recent years, several attacks have also been directed against civilians, especially the Christian Coptic minority, but those directed against tourists are rare.

The country is in a state of emergency since April 2017 in response to a series of terrorist attacks against churches in the Nile Delta.

Meanwhile, the tourism industry, crucial for the Egyptian economy, He was greatly affected by the political instability and attacks that followed the 2011 uprising that ended with the fall of President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years of power.

From 14.7 million tourists in 2010, it reached only 5.3 million in 2016, although this has begun to change since 2017.

With information from EFE, AFP and Reuters