Seven die as two trains collide in Egypt

Uninjured passengers and bystanders searched derailed carriages for injured people GETTY IMAGES

At least seven people have been killed and more than 100 injured after two trains collided near the Egyptian city of Giza.

The country’s railway authority said the trains were travelling south from Giza and Cairo when the collision caused several carriages to derail and plunge down an embankment.

The first train was travelling from Giza to Fayoum when it crashed into the rear of another service heading from Cairo to Aswan, which was stationary on the tracks.

Images from the scene showed overturned and badly damaged carriages as emergency workers, passengers and bystanders searched for survivors and injured people.

As reported by the BBC News on Sunday, Egypt’s health minister, Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, said several victims were being treated for broken bones and head injuries, while the driver of one of the trains was among those killed.

The government said hospitals in the affected area had been placed on heightened alert to cope with the large number of casualties.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash and hold anyone found responsible for negligence accountable.

The public prosecutor’s office also warned that the death toll could rise.

The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was providing medical assistance and psychological support to victims and their families at the scene.

Following the collision, train services between Giza and the Upper Egypt region were suspended as cranes were deployed to remove the wreckage.

The crash occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat, an area with a history of deadly railway accidents.

Egypt’s deadliest train disaster occurred in February 2002, when a fire engulfed a passenger train travelling from Cairo to Luxor, killing more than 370 people.

The latest tragedy has triggered calls for the transport minister to resign, while foreign governments and diplomats have expressed condolences and solidarity with Egypt.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry wished those injured a speedy recovery, while Turkey’s ambassador to Egypt extended condolences to the victims, their families and the Egyptian people.