In Egypt, train traffic resumed after the collision, but an attempt to lift a carriage failed

The accident and its consequences

In northern Egypt, in the area of the city of El-Ayat in Giza province, two trains collided: train No. 134, traveling from Giza to El-Fayyum, rammed the rear carriages of train No. 2010, which was heading from Cairo to Aswan. According to the Ministry of Transport, as cited by euronews,the impact hit the stationary passenger train roughly 52 kilometers south of Cairo. Traffic on the section was temporarily halted, and cranes were brought in to clear the wreckage (Gazeta.Ru).

Victims and aid to the injured

The outlets give the same death toll — seven people. The figures for the injured differ: Gazeta.Ru, citing the latest data, reports 112 injured, while euronews reports 125. Egypt's Ministry of Health stated that more than 70 injured passengers were discharged from hospitals after treatment. Eyewitness Ahmad Osman Abu Emran, who was working in a nearby field, told euronews that he heard the impact and the sound of carriages overturning, then rushed to help and described what he saw as heartbreaking.

Restoration of traffic and a new incident

Egypt's National Railways announced the completion of work to lift the damaged carriages and the resumption of traffic on the affected section. However, before this announcement, as Gazeta.Ru reports, another incident occurred during the clearing of the wreckage: the crane's lifting cable failed to withstand the weight of the carriage being lifted, and it crashed down onto other debris. RT published video from the scene. No casualties from the cable failure are reported in the publications.

Investigation and context

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered an urgent investigation into the causes of the collision. euronews notes that the accident has once again drawn attention to the safety problems of Egypt's railways, which have long faced difficulties in maintenance and management; the deadliest rail disaster in the country occurred in 2002, when a fire on a train traveling from Cairo to southern Egypt killed more than 300 people. According to the Egyptian outlet Masrawy,after the accident there are calls to hold those responsible accountable and to support the victims. In addition, the Russian Embassy previously reported Russians injured in the accident — their number and condition are not specified in the available publications.