Four Dead and 88 Injured in Train Collision South of Cairo

At least four people were killed and 88 others sustained injuries on Sunday following a collision between two passenger trains in the Al Ayyat district, located south of the Egyptian capital of Cairo. The Egyptian Ministry of Health confirmed the casualty figures and reported that emergency medical services transferred all injured passengers to nearby hospitals across the region for medical treatment.

The accident occurred approximately 52 kilometres south of Cairo in the province of Giza, according to information released by the Ministry of Transport. Official statements indicated that a train travelling toward Fayum province in the southwest of the country struck the rear section of a second train bound for the southern province of Aswan. The force of the impact resulted in the derailment of one of the trains, though government authorities have not publicly specified which of the two rail vehicles left the tracks.

Following the collision, Egyptian President Abdelfatah al-Sisi announced on social media that he had ordered an immediate investigation to determine the precise causes of the incident. The president stated that the inquiry aims to establish accountability and ensure that any parties responsible for the collision are held to account.

The Egyptian Railways Authority confirmed that emergency crews and heavy cranes were deployed to the accident site shortly after the impact occurred. Operations are currently underway at the scene in Al Ayyat to clear the damaged train cars from the line and restore normal rail traffic as quickly as possible.

The collision in Giza province follows an earlier railway incident in the same district. In September, two freight trains collided in Al Ayyat, resulting in injuries to a train driver and his assistant.

Written by Andreas Hofer andreas.hofer@alpineweekly.com