At least 4 killed in Taba explosion

At least four people were killed when a bus carrying 30 tourists exploded in Taba, state media reported.

A security source told state-owned Al-Ahram that the bus was targeted by a missile.

Three Korean tourists were killed and 14 others were injured in the blast, the source said.

The bus was coming from the Taba Land Port and heading to Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh, Al-Ahram said.

Health Minister Maha al-Rabbat said that 16 physicians and 40 nurses have been deployed to Taba and Noweiba Central Hospitals to provide the necessary medical care for the victims of the bombing, Al-Ahram Gate reported.

According to the minister, all southern Sinai hospitals are currently functioning on full capacity and all necessary medical supplies and blood are available; Rabbat added that 15 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene of the explosion.   

Ofir Gendelman, the Israeli prime minister's spokesperson for Arab media said later on Sunday that five victims were transferred to Eilat hospital for intensive care treatment. Gendelman added on his Twitter account that, despite the effort to transfer 15 more casualties to the Yoseftal hospital in Eilat, none were transferred. The official added that there were no Israeli citizens on board of the bus that exploded.

The American Embassy in Cairo condemned the terrorist act, state-owned news portal EgyNews said.

The embassy stated that there are no justifications for such a cowardly attack and offered its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims, and wished the injured a quick recovery.   

In 2004, three bomb attacks targeting tourist hotels in the South Sinai governorate killed over 30 people.