A locomotive collided with the tail end of a Cairo-bound passenger train on Sunday in southern Egypt, leading to the death of at least one person and injuring multiple others, according to authorities. This tragic incident marks the second train crash in Egypt within a month.
The crash took place in the province of Minya, located approximately 270 kilometers (about 168 miles) south of Cairo. According to a statement from the railway authority, the force of the collision caused two railway carriages to fall into an adjacent watercourse. The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, the statement added.
Footage broadcasted by local media captured the dramatic aftermath, showing the two carriages partially submerged in the watercourse, a sobering reminder of the dangerous conditions many passengers face while traveling across Egypt’s rail network.
The Health Ministry released a separate statement confirming that, along with the reported fatality, at least 21 people were transported to hospitals for medical attention. Of those injured, 19 were later discharged after receiving the necessary treatment.
Train derailments and collisions have become all too frequent in Egypt, where the country’s aging railway infrastructure has been marred by years of neglect and mismanagement. This latest crash follows another serious incident in September, when two passenger trains collided in a city in the Nile Delta, resulting in the deaths of at least three people.
Egyptian authorities have acknowledged the dire state of the railway system and have announced plans to modernize and overhaul the network. In 2018, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi announced that an estimated 250 billion Egyptian pounds, equivalent to $8.13 billion, would be necessary to fully rehabilitate the aging and deteriorating rail infrastructure. Despite these initiatives, however, accidents continue to happen, raising concerns about the safety and reliability of Egypt’s railway services.
The investigation into the Minya collision is ongoing, as officials work to determine the precise factors that led to the deadly crash. Meanwhile, many in Egypt are calling for faster implementation of the proposed improvements to the country’s transportation system to prevent further tragedies.
Source: https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/deadly-train-crash-in-egypt-leaves-over-a-dozen-passengers-injured-and-one-dead/
