At least four people have been killed and 88 others injured after two passenger trains collided in southern Egypt, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into the latest deadly accident on the country’s ageing railway network.
The crash occurred on Sunday in the Al-Ayyat area of Giza, south of Cairo, when a train travelling from Giza to Fayoum struck the rear of another train heading from Cairo to Aswan, according to Egypt’s railway authority.
The Ministry of Health confirmed that four passengers died in the incident, while 88 injured victims were receiving treatment at hospitals across the Giza area.
Earlier reports by state-owned media had put the number of injured people at 120, although the reports did not specify the severity of their injuries.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he was monitoring the incident with “great concern” and had ordered an urgent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.
He also directed authorities to ensure that anyone found responsible for negligence was held accountable.
Emergency response teams deployed cranes to remove the wreckage and assist with rescue operations, the railway authority said.
Authorities have commenced an investigation to determine what caused the trains to collide.
The accident has renewed concerns over the safety of Egypt’s railway system, which has experienced several deadly crashes over the years.
The Al-Ayyat area has previously been associated with major rail disasters. In 2002, more than 370 people died after a fire engulfed a train carrying holiday travellers south of Cairo.
Several other train accidents in the area, including incidents in 2009, also claimed dozens of lives.
Egypt, with a population of about 110 million, relies heavily on rail transport. Its railway network is among the largest in Africa but has continued to suffer fatal accidents linked to longstanding infrastructure and safety concerns.
Although the government has invested billions of dollars in transport infrastructure over the past decade, including highways and high-speed rail projects, much of the country’s conventional railway system is still awaiting comprehensive modernisation.
