AL-ARISH: An Egyptian police official says a truck has slammed into a minibus traveling through the Sinai Desert, killing nine passengers and injuring six others.

The official says the minibus was carrying 14 workers to a cement factory in central Sinai when it was struck by a large truck, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the border town of Al-Arish.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn t authorized to speak to the press.

Egypt has a history of serious bus and car crashes because of speeding, careless driving and poor road conditions.

In September, three Italian tourists were killed when their minibus overturned in south Sinai.