(Amends figure of dead students, adds details on identity)

CAIRO, April 18 (Reuters) - At least 15 Egyptian secondary school students were killed on their way to school on Wednesday when a truck they were riding in collided head-on with another vehicle south of the Egyptian capital, security sources said.

The driver of the truck was also killed, and eight other students who were riding in the back of the truck were injured in the crash, the latest in a series of deadly Egyptian transport accidents.

The sources said the collision occurred when a heavy truck tried to overtake another vehicle in the Giza province, colliding head-on with the private truck taking the students to school.

The dead students, 14 girls and a boy, were between 15 and 16 years old. Security sources had earlier said all 16 dead were students.

Reckless driving and poor road conditions are responsible for many road crashes in Egypt, and a spate of rail and road accidents has sparked public anger at what critics call the government's failure to enforce safety standards.

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