At least seven people have died and more than 100 were injured after two trains collided south of Cairo on Sunday, with Egypt’s chief prosecutor’s office warning that the death toll could rise. The driver of one of the trains was among those who died, the ministry confirmed, and the government said hospitals in the area had been put on heightened alert.
Two trains travelling south from Cairo and Giza collided in the al-Ayyat district of Giza province, about 52 kilometres south of Cairo, when a train from Giza to Fayoum struck the rear of a Cairo-to-Aswan service, according to the transport ministry. Officials said the Cairo-to-Aswan train was stationary on the track. Several carriages derailed and overturned, with images showing people searching the wreckage for injured passengers.
Egypt’s health ministry put the latest toll at at least seven dead and more than 100 injured, though an earlier count from the ministry put the toll at four people killed and 88 hurt, while state media had earlier reported 120 wounded. Health minister Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said patients were being treated for broken bones and head injuries.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a social media post that he had ordered an investigation into the crash, telling state authorities to "investigate the circumstances of the accident, and hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent." The public prosecutor's office said its investigators had arrived at the scene, and the cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
Emergency teams and cranes were dispatched to clear the wreckage and restore services, while rail traffic between Giza and Upper Egypt was suspended. Al Jazeera reported that authorities said more than 70 ambulances were involved in transport and evacuation operations at the scene; casualties were taken to nearby hospitals.
The crash happened in a district that was the site of Egypt's worst train disaster, a fire in 2002 that killed more than 370 people, and where crashes in 2009 killed dozens more. Last September, two freight trains collided in the same district, injuring a driver and his assistant. There were calls in Egypt on Sunday for the transport minister to resign over the latest disaster.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The death toll may rise: the chief prosecutor's office has warned that more victims could be found as emergency crews work through the wreckage.
- The crash is the latest in a string of deadly rail accidents on a network that millions of Egyptians depend on, and it has renewed calls for accountability.
- Services on the busy Cairo-to-Upper Egypt corridor have been suspended until wreckage is cleared, disrupting travel and freight.
Background
Egypt's rail network, one of the largest in Africa, carries a population of about 110 million people, but it has suffered repeated deadly accidents. The al-Ayyat area was the scene of Egypt's worst rail disaster, a train fire in 2002 that killed more than 370 people, and multiple crashes in 2009 killed dozens. The government has invested billions of dollars in new highways and high-speed rail lines in recent years, but much of the ageing rail network has yet to be overhauled.
What to Watch
- Whether the official death toll rises beyond seven as investigators and rescue teams finish searching the derailed carriages.
- What the president-ordered investigation finds and whether any officials, including the transport minister, face action or resignation.
- When rail services between Giza and Upper Egypt resume after cranes clear the wreckage.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 5 sources: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedAt least seven people died and more than 100 were injured in the Sunday train collision south of Cairo.STV News: “Seven people were killed and more than 100 others injured when two trains collided south of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Sunday”
- SupportedThe chief prosecutor’s office warned that the death toll could rise.BBC News: “The public prosecutor's office warned the death toll could rise.”
- SupportedThe driver of one train was among those killed, the ministry confirmed.BBC News: “The driver of one of the trains was among those who died in the crash, the ministry confirmed.”
- SupportedSisi said: “investigate the circumstances of the accident, and hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent.”BBC News: “Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered state authorities to "investigate the circumstances of the accident, and hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent".”
- SupportedSisi said he had ordered an investigation into the crash.BBC News: “Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered state authorities to "investigate the circumstances of the accident, and hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent".”
- SupportedThe health ministry’s latest toll was at least seven dead and more than 100 injured.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “At least seven people have been killed and more than 112 others injured in a train crash on the outskirts of Cairo in Egypt’s Giza province, according to the country’s Health Ministry.”
- SupportedAn earlier health ministry count was four people killed and 88 injured.RTÉ News: “The health ministry said an initial count put the toll from the crash at four passengers killed, with 88 others currently being treated for injuries in hospitals around the Giza area.”
- SupportedState media had earlier reported 120 people wounded.RTÉ News: “State-owned media had earlier reported 120 people were wounded, without clarifying the degree of injury.”
- SupportedThe government said hospitals in the area had been put on heightened alert.BBC News: “The government said hospitals in the area had been put "on heightened alert" as they dealt with a massive influx of patients.”
- SupportedThe Giza-to-Fayoum train struck the rear of the Cairo-to-Aswan train, which was stationary on the track.STV News: “An inspection indicated that the crash took place when the Giza-Fayyoum train collided with the last carriage of the Cairo-Aswan train, that was stationary on the same track and travelling in the same direction, officials said.”
- SupportedThe cause of the accident was not immediately clear.DW English: “The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.”
- SupportedAuthorities said more than 70 ambulances were involved in transport and evacuation operations at the scene.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Authorities say more than 70 ambulances were involved in transport and evacuation operations at the scene of the crash, with casualties taken to nearby hospitals.”