Driver hangs himself from billboard on Cairo-Ismailia road

Forty-eight year old driver Farag Rizk was found dead on Wednesday morning after reportedly hanging himself from a billboard on the Cairo-Ismailia road, according to state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

Investigations indicated that Rizk left the premises of the private transportation company where he worked in Obour City at 9:30 am on Wednesday, stopped at the nearest billboard on the highway and hung himself.

The deceased was allegedly suffering from financial difficulties and demanded a raise several times, as he could not meet his family’s needs, according to state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, who added that Rizk was incapable of paying his children’s school tuition. 

An investigation is being conducted to rule out any criminal implications.

The Egyptian economy has been suffering in the last three years, affecting most families. According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), Egypt’s poverty rate rose to 26.3 percent in 2013 compared to 16.7 percent in 2000.

The study issued in July stated that 60 percent of individuals under the poverty line work in the informal economy, 27.3 percent of them in the private sector. The official report added that 67 percent of those living under the poverty line live in families with more than 10 members.