Collision between 2 trains in Egypt kills 7 and injures more than 100

Cairo, Egypt witnessed a tragic collision between two trains on Sunday, resulting in the death of seven individuals and over 100 more sustaining injuries, according to a statement by the Chief Prosecutor's office. The mishap took place in the al-Ayyat district of Giza province, situated approximately 32 miles south of Cairo. The incident occurred when a train en route to Fayoum province collided with the rear carriage of another train, which was stationary on the same track and moving in the same direction, as reported by the Transportation Ministry.

Upon arrival at the scene, investigators from the Chief Prosecutor's office confirmed the nature of the accident. It was revealed that the Giza-Fayoum train had struck the stationary Cairo-Aswan train, which was positioned on the same track and traveling in the same direction. Train derailments and crashes have been a recurrent issue in Egypt, where the railway system has been plagued by mismanagement and inadequate maintenance of equipment.

In recent years, the government has initiated modernization projects to enhance the railway infrastructure.

Eyewitness Ayman Gamal, a resident of Kafr Girza in al-Ayyat, recounted the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. He mentioned that residents rushed to the scene, extracting survivors and promptly calling for ambulances. Gamal observed that around 80 of the injured were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals. Tragically, some passengers were found trapped inside one of the carriages of the stationary train, leading to their untimely demise.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi issued a post on social media, vowing to initiate a swift investigation into the crash. Emergency response teams and cranes were dispatched to the site to clear the wreckage and resume train services as soon as possible, as stated by the Egyptian Railway Authority.

In September of the previous year, a similar incident occurred in the same district, where a train driver and his assistant were injured following a collision between two freight trains. Egypt's most devastating train accident transpired in 2002, claiming the lives of over 300 people when a fire erupted on an overnight train journeying from Cairo to southern Egypt. As trusted journalism and civil dialogue are of paramount importance, it is recommended to support the dissemination of accurate information.