Updated at 10 a.m. ET: CAIRO -- At least 49 people, the vast majority children, were killed when a train crashed into a school bus in a city south of Cairo Saturday, Egyptian police and the governor of the city told NBC News.

Gov. Yahya Taha Kishk said 17 people were injured in the accident in Assiut, which is around 190 miles south of the capital.

Manfalut hospital, near the crash site, told NBC News that the children killed in the crash were aged around four to six years old and attended a private nursery school.

A doctor at the hospital told Reuters that two women were among those injured.

"They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it," doctor Mohamed Samir added, citing witness accounts.

The bus was broken in half by the force of the crash, pictures on youm7.com website, run by an Egyptian newspaper, showed. Blood was spattered on the front of the engine and school bags and text books, some bloodstained, were scattered around the scene.  

Officials said the level of destruction and mutilation made it difficult to count and identify the bodies. 

"I saw the train collide with the bus and push it about 1 km (half a mile) along the track," said Ahmed Youssef, a driver. 

Railway crossing worker asleep
President Mohammed Morsi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed, Egypt's official news agency reported.

Kishk, the Assiut governor, ordered an investigation and told state television that the railways crossing was open when the train hit the bus.

"The crossing worker was asleep. He has been detained," he said.

Victims' families protested at the scene, the state news agency reported.

Egypt's roads and railways have a poor safety record. Egyptians have complained successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards, leading to a string of deadly accidents.

Earlier this month, at least three Egyptians were killed and more than 30 injured in a train crash in Fayoum, another city south of Cairo. In July, 15 people were injured in Giza, close to the capital, when a train derailed. 

Egypt's worst train disaster was in 2002 when a fire ripped through seven carriages of an overcrowded passenger train, killing at least 360 people.

Many more have been killed in rail accidents since then despite pledges from successive government to improve safety. Accidents involving multiple deaths are also common on Egypt's poor road network.

NBC News' Charlene Gubash and Reuters contributed to this report.

Reuters

Relatives of victims look at the wreckage of a bus after a train crashed into it in Assuit, Egypt, on Saturday.

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LONDON -- For months, London has been gripped by fear of transport gridlock during the Olympics. So NBC News decided to find out just what was the best way to get about the city, notorious for its near stationary traffic and packed, sweltering subway trains.

We chose five different methods of travel: car, train, taxi, the city’s famous red double-decker buses and bicycle.

Our mission was to travel from Piccadilly Circus in central London to the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London.

At noon last Monday local time, the five of us set off with video cameras to record our attempts to make it in time for the men’s 10-meter synchronized diving at 3 p.m.

For some it was a simple, pleasant journey. For others, it was an experience to forget.

Here are our stories:

Car driver Peter Jeary: ‘You’ll never get parked’
To be honest, no one in their right mind would drive from central London to Stratford even on the best of days -- let alone during the Olympics. It was, however, much less stressful than expected.  

The pinch point around Trafalgar Square is always bad; it took me about 20 minutes to travel half a mile. The Olympic Lane [for athletes, officials] was often tantalizingly empty as I sat nose-to-tail in traffic.

Evangelists, 'vegan turkey' seek converts at London Olympics

One moment of crisis was when a London cab (naturally!) decided to drop a passenger in the only lane open to traffic. Could I sneak past, with just two wheels in the Olympic Lane? As the cars in front did, I decided to as well. Time will tell if I get a £130 fine ($203) in the mail.

Finding somewhere to park was a nightmare. In the interests of full disclosure -- I parked in a timed zone that would have expired just as the first competitors touched the water. So even if you do try driving -- don't! You'll never get parked.

Time: One hour 30 minutes

Slideshow: Venues for 2012 London Olympic Games

Oda / Getty Images

From Wimbledon to Wembley Stadium to The Dome, a look at the venues for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Launch slideshow

Cyclist Jim Seida: ‘No better way’
On a warm, sunny day, there is no better way to navigate the streets of London than on a bicycle.

As you pedal the tangled web that is central London, the sounds of languages and smells of foods from around the world become part of your point A to point B experience, making it just that, an experience, a journey, and any moment on the bike becomes about that journey, not just time passing by on your way to your destination.   

For this trip, though, from Piccadilly Circus to Stratford, trying to focus on where to go and when to turn impacted my usual enjoyment of the international experience I've come to enjoy over the past week. 

Home advantage: Britain celebrates 'sensational' Olympic medal haul

Sure, I still got to squeeze between double-decker buses with only inches to spare, and I got to dodge pedestrians as they crossed against the light, but doing these things one handed on a bicycle while trying to navigate via an iPhone with the other is, well, a bit awesome. 

There is no better way to go.  If we had to do it all over again, I'd still take a bike; and I think if we did it during rush hour I'd smoke 'em all. 

Time: 48 minutes

Taxi passenger Ian Johnston: ‘It seemed like I’d won’
It took me about 20 seconds to find one of London’s famous black taxi cabs after the five of us separated in Piccadilly Circus. 

My driver, Steve, a cabbie of 19 years’ experience and a native Londoner, was great, regaling me with stories about the time he had actor Roger Moore, rock star Noel Gallagher and other celebrities in his taxi while performing neat u-turns and avoiding traffic effectively by using side streets.

We hit a bit of traffic initially but then caught Jim Seida as he stood at the side of the road looking a bit puzzled about which direction to go. Jim slipped away again through the traffic, but soon Steve found roads that were really quiet for London and we started making good progress. I started to feel confident.

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Alastair Jamieson sent a text saying he was about to board one of the speedy Javelin trains to the Olympic Park, but moments later we saw our first glimpse of our target destination. It was definitely going to be close.

As we got to the venue, police stopped Steve from parking in what seemed to be a good dropping-off point and directed him to the taxi rank, wasting a few vital minutes. I thanked Steve profusely, paid the $43 bill and dodged through the crowds at a fast walk. I arrived at the entrance and couldn’t see any of the others. It seemed like I’d won, then I spotted Alastair standing at another entrance. He'd come from a different direction, so I went across to ask when he'd arrived.

Time: 43 minutes

Slideshow: When the Olympics is your neighbor

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A diverse community in East London will welcome the world to Britain for the 2012 Olympic Games. Meet residents and hear how they feel about having a huge, world stage in their backyard.

Launch slideshow

Bus passenger Jamieson Lesko: Faster if I’d ran
I've never been a bus rider, so at the start of this journey, I wondered if I've been underestimating the ‘Big Reds’ all this time. But unfortunately, it turns out that I've not been too hard on them. Double decker = double time.  

It took me one minute shy of two hours to get from Piccadilly Circus to Stratford.

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If I've done my math correctly, it would have been a faster trip if I'd jogged the whole way!

For visitors to London, the benefit of the bus is that you get a comfortable seat and scenic tour of the many sites there are to enjoy… but, if you've got a ticket for the Games or are on any kind of schedule, take the tube, grab a cab, or put on your sneakers and hoof it over to the venue!

Time: One hour 59 minutes

Slideshow: Graffiti Games: UK street artists take on Olympics

Jim Seida / NBC News

Street and graffiti artists have been satirizing, celebrating and making jokes about the Olympic Games in London.

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And the winner is: train passenger Alastair Jamieson
The official London 2012 website journey planner said public transport, using a combination of tube train and high-speed rail link, would be the fastest route for our trip. 

And so it proved -- but only just.

My trip took 42 minutes --  five minutes under the website's estimate -- but was almost beaten by the cab.

London's underground system, whose oldest section dates from 1863, when Abraham Lincoln was president, was an immediate concern for Games organizers.

Medals for poets? Not at this Olympics but...

To ease pressure on the narrow tunnels, a shuttle service of Japanese-built 140mph "Javelin" trains was introduced on the fast line between London and Paris which runs underneath the Olympic Park. Running every 15 minutes, it slashed our journey time by a remarkable 21 minutes.

Despite concerns about crowding, my journey on the Piccadilly line to the King's Cross terminus station was hassle-free and, like the games venues, had plenty of free seats.

Changing trains took five minutes, and there were elevators available for those unable to tackle the large number of steps.

More London 2012 coverage from NBCNews.com

At Stratford's International station, it was only a six-minute walk to Stratford Gate, well-signed by volunteers in purple vests.

And even better than being the fastest route, it was the cheapest -- free to anyone with an automated Oyster swipe card, including ticket-holders.

NBC News' Peter Jeary, Jim Seida, Ian Johnston, Jamieson Lesko, Alastair Jamieson, Barny Smith and Kristy Breetzke contributed to this report.

Slideshow: Olympic Emotional Moments

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Click for more from the 2012 summer games in London.

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A suicide bomber who blew up a bus in Bulgaria last week, killing five Israeli tourists, was backed by an organized group who helped him plan and carry out the attack, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said on Tuesday.

Borisov said police had not yet identified the bomber, who along with the Bulgarian bus driver also died. More than 30 people were wounded in Wednesday's attack at Burgas airport.

Borisov said the perpetrator had not acted alone.

"These are extremely experienced people who have followed strict conspiracy rules," Borisov told reporters after meeting John Brennan, a U.S. counter-terrorism adviser to President Barack Obama.

"From what we see, they arrived nearly a month beforehand, changed rental cars, and traveled to different cities ... and not more than one of the people we are looking for was captured on either security camera," Borisov said.

He declined to give more details on the plotters.

"There was absolutely no chance of preventing such an act of violence," Borisov insisted, according to The Associated Press. "We could have only detected it by chance or if we had been informed by the services that such activities were under way in Bulgaria."

Borisov said that the bomber's DNA and fingerprints had not matched anything held on file by Bulgaria or by partner spy agencies.

Bulgaria official: Suspected suicide bomber carried fake Michigan license

He suggested that the attacker, whose bomb was concealed in his backpack, may have entered Bulgaria on a plane from the European Union's "Schengen" passport-free travel zone.

"We do not know his identity, but it is known when he has arrived, the presumed flight, where he came from. It could turn out that he entered Bulgaria from a Schengen member country," Borisov said.

Israel's military chief insisted Tuesday that Iran and Hezbollah were involved and vowed that Israel would respond to the attack.

"We will have to find a way to respond to this attack, and not just a one-off," Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz was quoted as telling the Israeli parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee. "We will know how to do it judiciously. Ultimately, the response will come."

His comments were relayed by a meeting participant who discussed contents from the closed session on condition of anonymity. Iran has denied the accusations.

Borisov said that Bulgaria -- a member of both the European Union and NATO -- would not say who it thought was responsible for the attack until the investigation was complete.

Brennan said the U.S. has been working with Bulgaria on the investigation.

"Bulgaria will continue to have the full support of the United States in the weeks and months ahead," Brennan said.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Updated at 6:04 p.m. ET: SOFIA, Bulgaria -- An explosion on a bus carrying Israeli tourists at an airport in Burgas killed at least six people and injured 32 others, Bulgarian authorities said. Bulgarian officials could not confirm the deadly blast was terror-related but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran.

"Iran is responsible for the terror attack in Bulgaria, we will have a strong response against Iranian terror," said Netanyahu in a statement, according to Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper.

Tehran did not immediately issue a comment.

A bomb caused the explosion, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov told Reuters.

The Israelis had landed at the airport around 4:45 p.m. local time (9:45 a.m. ET) and boarded a bus to their hotel when the explosion happened, The Jerusalem Post reported. Body parts were flung onto the tarmac and a thick black plume of smoke rose above the airport.

An 11-year-old Israeli girl and two pregnant women were among those injured, according to Focus, a Bulgarian news agency.

EPA

Smoke rises over the Burgas airport in Bulgaria, after an explosion on Wednesday.

"I do not know what it was, but it was a very powerful blast, and I think it was something placed on purpose in the bus, which carried 47 Israeli tourists," Burgas mayor Dimitar Nikolov told BTV television. Burgas is 250 miles from Sofia, Bulgaria's capital.

Nikolov said 171 people had arrived on a plane from Israel to spend their holiday at the Black Sea coast. One American and one Slovenian passenger were on board, he said.

The Bulgarian Press Office, which provided the casualty figures, said only one bus was involved in the explosion, but added the investigation is ongoing. 

According to a Bulgarian news service, an eyewitness named Daniel told the Voice of Israel radio program: “I was literally watching people crawling out of the bus. They were screaming and one of them had no arms or legs. It was horrible.”

Another Israeli traveler told the radio station: “The people who survived got through the windows and were trying to crawl over the bodies. The bus was destroyed from both sides.”

In separate statements, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack.

Reuters

An explosion damaged a bus carrying Israeli tourists at Burgas Airport in Bulgaria on Wednesday.

"As Israel has tragically once more been a target of terrorism, the United States reaffirms our unshakeable commitment to Israel's security, and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people," Obama said. He called Netanyahu on Wednesday to express his condolences.

Clinton said the U.S. is prepared to offer "any assistance necessary" and that she was prepared to "work with our partners in Bulgaria, Israel and elsewhere so that the perpetrators can be apprehended swiftly and brought to justice for this appalling crime."

Wednesday's bombing coincided with the 18th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina that killed 85 people. According to the BBC, Argentinian prosecutors charged Iran with orchestrating the attack, which they believe was carried out by Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militia. 

Netanyahu said Israel would respond.

"All the signs lead to Iran. Only in the past few months we have seen Iranian attempts to attack Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and other places," Netanyahu said in a statement. "This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading throughout the entire world. Israel will react powerfully against Iranian terror."

But Jerusalem Post writer Yaakov Katz questioned the connection between the two events.  

"While the attack is severe, it is not of the scale of what happened in 1994," Katz wrote. In 1994 in Argentina, a van filled with explosives rammed into the Jewish community center, killing 84 people. Wednesday's attack, he said, appeared to have been perpetrated by a suicide bomber or a planted bomb. 

"This is a break from Hezbollah's traditional tactic of carrying out attacks with less of a footprint," Katz wrote. "In previous plots that were thwarted recently, there were attempts to shoot down Israeli airliners with shoulder-to-air missiles, to plant bombs on diplomatic cars or to assassinate Israeli diplomats. Nothing that would leave evidence behind."

Israeli officials had previously said that Bulgaria, a popular holiday destination for young Israeli tourists, was vulnerable to attack by Islamist militants who could infiltrate via nearby Turkey.

Israeli diplomats have been targeted in several countries in recent months by bombers who Israel said struck on behalf of Iran.

Though Tehran has denied involvement, some analysts believe it is trying to avenge the assassinations of several scientists from its controversial nuclear program, which the Iranians have blamed on Israel and its Western allies.

Israel has threatened air strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities if diplomatic efforts fail to stop Tehran getting nuclear weapons, which it denies it is seeking.

The Israel Airports Authority announced disruptions in flights from Israel and Europe, according to Haaretz.

NBC's Lawahez Jabari in Jerusalem, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Olivia Harris / Reuters

Bus drivers stand on a picket line near the West Ham Bus Garage in east London on Friday.

Thousands of London bus drivers went on strike Friday, demanding a bonus of $780 for working during next month’s Olympic games.

The public transit authority, Transport for London, said two-thirds of the capital’s 8,000 red buses were off the road on Friday due to the action.

With just over a month to go before millions of athletes and visitors arrive for the games, union leaders have issued a string of demand for extra payments.

Underground train drivers have already secured a bonus of up to $1,326 – in addition to overtime payments – while workers in the Docklands Light Railway system near the games site have negotiated a payment of up to $1,482.

“Transport unions have the Mayor, ministers and the Games organizers over a barrel,” Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, wrote in the Evening Standard newspaper. “No Olympics in history have been as dependent on public transport as London 2012. Indeed, a vow to get spectators to and from events by trains, Tubes and buses was a key element in the bid.”

Read more at ITV News

Mayor Boris Johnson has said those who strike will not be eligible for an Olympics bonus.

He said the strike was "extremely frustrating" and added: "I can only conclude that this strike is being driven by hardline trades union militancy and a desire to have a strike for political purposes."

In a bid to avert the strike, Johnson last week offered a deal with a collective $12.9 million but the union, Unite, is still seeking payments totaling $32.7 million.

It wants every bus driver to be paid a larger bonus, even if they don't drive routes affected by the Olympics, including anyone off sick or unavailabe to work.

Some routes were running on Friday after their private operators secured a court injunction to prevent workers joining the strike.

ITV News is the UK partner of NBC News. Alastair Jamieson, msnbc.com, contributed to this report.

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• Go behind the scenes with our 'TODAY in London' blog
  

Guillermo Legaria / AFP - Getty Images

Police officers inspect the remains of vehicles on May 15, 2012 after an explosion ripped through a crowded area of Bogota injuring at least 10 people according to the mayor's office. Witnesses said the blast appeared to have been from a bomb placed on a public bus, but officials could not immediately confirm the cause.

A bomb blast on a crowded street in Colombia Tuesday reportedly killed several people and injured 19 others.

NBC News said there were reports that the attack in northern Bogota was aimed at former Colombian Minister of Interior and Justice Fernando Londoño and that two of his bodyguards were among the dead.

Londoño was injured and was being treated at the Clinica del Country. Different reports put the death toll at between two and five.

The blast at 11 a.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) affected a total of seven vehicles, according to reports.

TV images from the scene showed a badly damaged SUV, a bus and other vehicles that were less damaged.  There were initial reports that the bomb was on the bus.

The video also showed several people lying on the street receiving treatment.

Minister walking, but stunned
President Juan Manuel Santos condemned the attack. "This government will not be put off course by these terrorist attacks," he said, according to Reuters. "This was an attack against former minister Fernando Londoño." 

The TV images showed Londoño being escorted, walking but stunned, from the SUV in a suit and tie with blood stains on part of his chest. One of his bodyguards was holding a gun.

"Fortunately, Dr. Londono is stable. He's in the hospital," Santos said, The Associated Press reported.

City health director Guillermo Jaramillo told Caracol radio that at least 19 people were hurt in Tuesday's blast.

He said he could not immediately confirm local media reports of several deaths.

The Colombian government has been battling the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, for five decades. The rebel group, however, has lost strength in recent years and they rarely carry out attacks in the capital. 

Although substantially weakened by a U.S.-funded military crackdown, the FARC remain a force to be reckoned with.

They stage attacks against police and military installations and set off car bombs in areas already ravaged by drug violence.

Edgar Zuniga Jr. of NBC News Atlanta, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Video footage of a Vietnamese traffic policeman clinging to the windshield wipers of a moving bus, whose driver was trying to avoid a ticket, has been released by cops in Hanoi.

The bus travelled for more than half a mile at speeds of up to 31mph with Lt. Nguyen Manh Phan hanging on to the front, a police spokesman told the Associated Press.

It reported that the video was filmed by another officer.

The driver, Phung Hong Phuong, allegedly refused to show his paperwork and drove off, but not before Phan leaped onto the front, the spokesman added.

The driver was eventually pulled over after being chased by police and residents. He was arrested for allegedly acting against public officials, an offense that carries a maximum three-year prison sentence, the Associated Press said.

It reported that Phuong previously served nearly four years in prison for a fatal traffic accident, and was released in 2010.

The Associated Press report could not be independently verified with Hanoi police.

Andy Rain / EPA, file

London's new bus is based on the iconic Routemaster. Each prototype cost about $2.25 million, compared to the $300,000 price tag for an ordinary double-decker.

LONDON – London's red double-decker buses are as globally recognizable as New York's yellow cabs, so there was dismay when the city's classic Routemaster vehicles were phased out six years ago.

This week's launch of a modern version of the bus – the first designed specifically for the U.K. capital since the original was introduced in the 1950s – has proven the double-decker is more than just a way of getting around.

The prototype features the same distinctive curves as its post-war predecessor, as well as the hop-on, hop-off rear platform used by impatient Londoners when stuck in traffic jams.

Its arrival fulfills an election promise made by Boris Johnson, the charmingly clownish mayor who believes public affection for the new Routemaster will restore some civic pride in a creaking and often-maligned transport system.

'Imagination'
The timing of the launch is no accident, five months ahead of the Olympic Games and 12 weeks before Johnson is up for re-election against an opponent who is making transport – in particular, inflation-busting fare increases – a big campaign issue.

Olympics housing crunch: Landlords evict tenants to gouge tourists

With a trademark rhetorical flourish, Johnson hailed the new bus at Monday’s unveiling as "a stunning piece of automotive architecture" representing "the very best in British design, engineering and manufacture" and "a demonstration of what can be done given imagination and determination".

Others see it as a vanity project for Johnson, a blustery Conservative whose mass cycle-rental scheme has earned the name "Boris Bikes."

Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images, file

London Mayor Boris Johnson sits in the driver's seat of one of the new prototype double-decker buses.

David Lammy, a Labour Party member of parliament, asked how the mayor could justify the "extraordinary" cost  – equivalent to $2.25 million each – of the eight prototype vehicles. That compares to the $300,000 price tag for an ordinary, off-the-shelf double decker – although a major order would reduce the individual cost considerably.

Lammy noted that the new Routemaster also has less space than its more functional rivals and costs $36,000 per seat – the same price as a new 3-series BMW.

Indeed, the whole project has been likened to Concorde – the supersonic aircraft that inspired awe and became a symbol engineering achievement despite costing a fortune to produce and never achieving widespread commercial success.

But the bus has already been welcomed by cheering crowds on its first trips in passenger service on the high-frequency route 38 between Victoria railway station and the north-east borough of Hackney.

One blog review even reported onboard conversation between strangers – a concept so rare among taciturn Londoners that it seems almost to be discouraged. "Vanity project or no, the new bus is certainly a head-turner and a talking point," the Londonist concluded.

There are other advantages: its hybrid engine uses a mix of battery and diesel power, producing less than half the CO₂ of its rivals.

"The green innards of this red bus mean that it is twice as fuel efficient as a diesel bus and the most environment-friendly of its kind," enthused Johnson.

Teething troubles
Anyone hoping to catch a ride could be in for a long wait: only one of the eight prototypes is yet in service, out of a total London-wide bus fleet of 8,000, and teething troubles have forced it off the road repeatedly. A msnbc.com reporter who tried to catch the bus on Thursday found a small expectant crowd waited for over an hour at Victoria only to discover the vehicle was at a depot undergoing "diagnostic tests" of its onboard computer.

There are also concerns that its three doors could make life easier for fare-evaders who fail to swipe their electronic Oyster travel passes to make payment.

But enthusiasm for city's new icon is infectious. "It is something everyone can enjoy," said retired aircraft designer Roy Spurgeon, who had traveled from the Surrey suburbs specially to see it. "It doesn't matter whether you are a small child or my age, there is always that little thrill you get from the front seat on the top deck."

The blogger Diamond Geezer said passengers seemed unconcerned about niggles such as cramped seats or noisy air-conditioning. "All they saw was a gorgeous modern vehicle with a human face, and a Routemaster-like rear platform for hopping off between stops, and a mayoral promise made instantly real," he wrote.

Follow Alastair Jamieson on Twitter: @alastairjam

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 BEIJING -- Chinese state media say a school bus belonging to a primary school has overturned, killing at least 15 students, despite a recent government pledge to improve school safety after an earlier crash of a school van.

The official Xinhua News Agency did not give the ages of the victims in the crash Monday evening.

It said the bus was carrying 29 students when it overturned in Xuzhou city in Jiangsu province in eastern China. It said 11 others were hurt.

Last month, 19 students and two adults were killed when a nine-seat private school van packed with 62 children and two adults crashed head-on with a truck in northwest Gansu province.

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