Three Qatari diplomats were killed in a car crash Saturday while heading to Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, health officials said.
Two other diplomats were injured when their vehicle overturned about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Sharm el-Sheikh, the officials said.
The diplomats, who were from the Qatari protocol team, were traveling to the city ahead of a high-level summit celebrating a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief media.
Citing security sources, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed said the delegation was traveling in a single diplomatic vehicle that was part of the convoy accompanying Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani when the car was involved in an accident.
The sources identified those killed as Abdullah bin Ghanem Al-Khulaifi, Hassan Al-Jaber, and Saud bin Thamer Al Thani.
They also named the injured as Abdullah bin Issa Al-Kuwari and Mohammed Al-Buainain, who were transported in critical condition to a nearby hospital and placed in intensive care.
Judicial sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that a team from the Public Prosecution in Sharm El-Sheikh arrived at the scene of the accident immediately after receiving a report. The team conducted a field inspection of the site and examined the wreckage of the diplomatic vehicle carrying the Qatari delegation members.
The sources indicated that, once the condition of the injured men stabilises, the Public Prosecution has ordered that their statements be taken regarding the circumstances of the accident. This will be in addition to hearing testimony from eyewitnesses and those present on the road at the time of the incident, to determine whether there was any criminal suspicion or traffic negligence involved.
The sources confirmed that the investigation is being conducted under the direct supervision of Egypt’s Public Prosecutor, Counselor Mohamed Shawqy Ayad, who has instructed authorities to swiftly prepare comprehensive technical, medical, and traffic reports and submit them immediately to relevant authorities. The incident, the sources said, is being treated as "highly sensitive."
Work is underway to repatriate the bodies of the three diplomats who died in the crash.
Qatar mediated the ceasefire along with Egypt and the U.S. Turkey also joined the negotiations earlier this month in Sharm el-Sheikh, which was capped by a ceasefire and the release of captives and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Doha was hit in an Israeli airstrike last month that targeted a Hamas negotiating team, killing six people, including one Qatari security officer.
Sharm el-Sheikh will host the summit to be co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
The statement said more than two dozen world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and United Nations Secretary General António Guterres will attend the summit.
(Agencies, The New Arab)