At least four dead and 88 injured in the collision of two trains in the Egyptian province of Giza

At least four people have died and 88 have been injured this Sunday in a train accident that occurred in the Al Ayat region, in the Egyptian province of Giza, about 59 kilometers south of Cairo, after two passenger trains collided and several carriages derailed, according to official sources. The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population has reported that the number of victims could increase as rescue efforts progress.

The accident occurred on the Cairo-Aswan agricultural road, near the Gerza crossing, on the railway section between the Kafr Ammar and Al Raqqa stations. According to the latest data, 72 ambulances are participating in the transport and evacuation operations of the injured, of which 49 have been transferred to Al Wasta Hospital, 29 to Al Ayyat Hospital and 10 to Atfih Hospital.

Given the magnitude of the accident, the Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, has ordered all health centers in the provinces of Giza and Beni Suef to be kept on high alert. Civil Protection personnel, railway emergency teams and security forces have traveled to the scene of the accident, which has been cordoned off to facilitate rescue operations.

For its part, the railway company has sent cranes and specialized equipment to remove the remains of the accident, move the affected wagons and restore railway circulation in both directions of the Cairo-Aswan line, which connects the capital with the south of the country.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi has ordered the competent authorities to provide the necessary medical care to the victims, to “expedite the investigation into the circumstances of the accident and to hold accountable those found negligent.”

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances and causes of the collision through the intervention of technical specialists, who will inspect the accident site, analyze the conditions in which both trains were circulating and collect testimonies. The accident occurred when train number 134, corresponding to the Tahya Misr service, which covered the route between Giza and Fayoum, collided with the rear of train number 2010, which traveled between Cairo and Aswan, as detailed by the Egyptian National Railways company in a statement.