CAIRO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - A minibus and a truck collided head-on south of Cairo at dawn on Saturday, killing 12 people and injuring five others, a security official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said three of the injured were rushed to a hospital in downtown Cairo in a critical condition.

The accident took place near the town of Ayyat, around 45 km (28 miles) south of the capital.

Reckless driving, lax traffic rules and poor road conditions cause many road crashes in Egypt. A series of road and rail accidents in the past few years triggered a public outcry over the government's handling of road and transport safety.

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