CAIRO -- Fifteen people were killed and seven others injured Tuesday in a multiple-vehicle collision on Cairo-Alexandria desert road near Amreya City, north of the Egyptian capital, according to state-run MENA news agency.

Security forces and ambulances immediately rushed to the scene of the accident. The injured were transported to the hospital for treatment, MENA quoted local authorities as saying.

Traffic officers are working to restore traffic flow, and the cause of the accident is pending further investigation.

Road accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt as a result of speeding, poor maintenance of roads, and lax enforcement of traffic laws.