Uninjured passengers and bystanders searched derailed carriages for injured people
At least seven people have been killed and more than 100 others sustained injuries following a major railway accident near Giza, Egypt.
The disaster occurred when two passenger services travelling southward collided, sending several coaches off the railway line and down a slope, according to the country’s rail administration.
Photographs from the location captured rescuers and bystanders searching overturned compartments for trapped passengers as emergency teams rushed to assist survivors.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi directed relevant government institutions to establish the cause of the incident and ensure that individuals responsible for any negligence face appropriate sanctions.
Meanwhile, prosecutors cautioned that the number of fatalities could increase as rescue operations and medical assessments continued.
Authorities placed nearby health facilities on emergency standby to accommodate the large number of casualties. Health Minister Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar disclosed that several victims were receiving medical attention for fractures and serious head trauma.
The Egyptian Red Crescent also deployed personnel to offer humanitarian assistance and emotional counselling to affected passengers and relatives. Officials confirmed that the operator of one of the locomotives was among the deceased.
Preliminary accounts indicated that a service travelling from Giza towards Fayoum struck the back of another train operating between Cairo and Aswan. The latter was reportedly stationary when the impact occurred.
Several coaches were severely damaged, with some overturned and others torn apart by the force of the collision.
Rail operations linking Giza with Upper Egypt were temporarily halted while heavy lifting equipment was brought in to clear the wreckage. However, authorities have yet to announce when normal services will resume.
The tragedy happened between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa railway stations in the Al-Ayyat district, an area with a history of serious railway disasters.
In February 2002, a passenger train travelling from Cairo to Luxor caught fire in the same vicinity, resulting in more than 370 officially recorded deaths.
Independent estimates suggested that the actual figure may have been considerably greater. Subsequent railway accidents in 2009 also claimed several lives.
The latest incident has triggered public anger, with sections of the Egyptian population demanding the resignation of the transport minister over recurring safety concerns within the country’s rail network.
International reactions have also emerged, as foreign governments and diplomatic representatives conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry issued a message of support for Egypt while expressing hopes for the swift recovery of those hospitalised.
Similarly, Turkey’s ambassador in Cairo used social media platform X to extend condolences to the victims’ relatives and the wider Egyptian population.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong