Eight U.S. tourists died and some 21 others were injured in a traffic accident in southern Egypt, the official MENA news agency reported on Sunday.

The died included six women and two men, and the Egyptian bus driver and the tourist guide were also injured.

Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Hatem el-Gabali sent two air ambulances to carry the bodies and those severely injured to Cairo.

"Five of the injured tourists are in critical conditions and they will be airlifted to Nasser Institute for treatment," said Undersecretary of Health Ministry Mohammed Saleh.

The U.S. embassy in Cairo confirmed that the injured are being moved to Cairo in a statement released on Sunday.

Initial investigations showed that the bus carrying 37 Americans collided with a sand laden truck pulled over on the road when heading to Egypt's Abu Simble temple.

The tourist bus was part of a three-vehicle convoy carrying 116 Americans on their sightseeing tour.

Egypt's traffic accidents rank second in mortality causes of the country. About 6,000 people die every year in road accidents in Egypt because of bad roads and poor traffic law enforcement.