Five South African tourists injured in explosion near Egyptian museum

At least five South African tourists were injured on Sunday when their bus hit a roadside bomb near the Grand Egyptian Museum in the vicinity of the Giza Pyramids, a security source said.

The bomb exploded as the bus passed the museum, which is still under construction on the outskirts of Cairo, the source added.

“The five were slightly injured by shards of the broken glass of the bus,” the source said, asking to remain anonymous.

The window of a private car with four people inside was also shattered by the blast, according to the source.

It was not immediately clear if any of them were injured.

There were 25 South African tourists on the bus, Egyptian state television reported.

Another security source had earlier said the blast was caused by an explosive device next to the museum wall.

Egypt has seen a spate of militant attacks mainly targeting the country’s security forces since the army’s 2013 overthrow of democratically elected but divisive Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Tourism, a main source of national income, has in recent months shown signs of recovery after having been hit hard by the unrest that followed Egypt’s 2011 uprising and post-Morsi turmoil.

dpa/NAN.