A serious disaster struck south of Egypt’s capital, Cairo, on Sunday, 8 November, when two passenger trains collided, causing a fire and carriages to derail and overturn. At least seven people were killed and more than 120 others were injured.
According to the Egyptian railway authorities, a train travelling from Giza province to Fayoum province struck the rear carriage of another train heading south from Cairo.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he was closely following the tragic incident and had directed the relevant authorities to launch an immediate investigation to establish its exact cause.
Egypt’s population of 110 million relies heavily on rail travel, but the network, one of the largest in Africa, frequently experiences fatal accidents. In 2002, more than 370 people died when a passenger train caught fire south of Cairo. By Rithy.
