At least seven people have died and over 112 others have been injured in a train crash on the outskirts of Cairo in Egypt’s Giza province, as reported by the Health Ministry.
On Sunday, a train travelling between Giza and Fayoum collided with the rear of another train on the Cairo-to-Aswan route. This caused the latter to derail onto a countryside road in the al-Ayyat district.
Emergency services and cranes have been deployed to clear the wreckage and restore normal train services, according to Egyptian National Railways. More than 70 ambulances have been involved in transporting casualties to nearby hospitals.
The site of the crash, al-Ayyat district, is known for being the location of Egypt’s worst rail disaster. In 2002, over 370 people died when a fire engulfed a train carrying holidaymakers south of Cairo. The area has seen multiple fatal crashes over the years.
Rail transport is vital for Egypt’s 110 million population, yet its extensive network, one of the largest in Africa, is in dire need of modernisation. Despite significant investment in transport infrastructure over the past decade, many outdated train services remain unchanged.
