Egypt: 32 killed, over 100 wounded in train collision

Must Read

Genocide is the only option in Balochistan – Pakistani Minister declares

A Pakistani minister in Balochistan, who is de-jure head of security apparatus in the region, has declared that genocide...

Aslam Baloch — The Baloch General – TBP Special report

For seventy years, through ups and downs, successes and failures, with rapid and slow pace, the Balochistan’s...

State’s deadly weapon, Shafiq Mengal – The Balochistan Post report

Strings of suicide bombing in Sindh's Shikarpur city and firing incident on BSO azad's rally in Khuzdar got connected...

Two trains collided in southern Egypt on Friday, leaving 32 people dead and more than 100 others wounded. Authorities confirmed the accident, saying that the passengers in one train activated the passenger brake. The train stopped abruptly and was struck from behind by the incoming train. The collision caused three passenger cars to flip over, trapping hundreds of passengers underneath.

According to the details, the accident occurred in the Egyptian province of Sohag on Friday when a train heading for the Mediterranean city Alexandria violently collided with another incoming train.

The Egyptian health ministry has said that 72 ambulances and medical reinforcements have been sent on the scene. Images of the accident show a large gathering around the twisted wreckage of the train.

Viral videos of the episode on social media show passengers crying and complaining that not even a single crane has reached the site to pull up the derailed passenger cars and rescue the people trapped underneath.

Egyptian railway authorities blamed the passengers aboard the train for the incident, saying that the emergency brakes were triggered by “unknown assailants”. The train abruptly stopped and was hit from behind by another train. Three passenger cars flipped, killing 32 and critically wounding 100 others. Authorities have said that they are further investigating the accident.

Egyptian President Fateh el-Sissi has said that he is monitoring the situation and promised dire punishment for the culprits.

“Anyone who caused this painful accident through negligence or corruption, or anything similar, must receive a deterrent punishment without exception or delay,” el-Sisi said on Twitter.

“The pain that tears our hearts today cannot but make us more determined to end this type of disasters,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Experts say that the Egyptian railway system has a history of badly maintained equipment and poor management. The government has not paid enough attention to renew the infrastructure or renovate the railway lines. Official figures show that almost 1800 train accidents had occurred in 2017 alone. In 2018, the number of accidents had crossed 2000.

In 2018, for example, a passenger train derailed in the city of Safwan, injuring at least 6 people. In another incident a cargo train collided with a passenger train, killing 12 people on the spot. A day later, President el-Sissi said that his government lacks the required funds – $15 billion – to overhaul the country’s run-down rail system.

A year earlier two trains collided just outside of Alexandria, killing 43 people. In 2016, 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo. The deadliest train accident in Egyptian history occurred in 2002 when a fire erupted in a train travelling to southern Egypt. More than 300 people were burned to death in the incident.

SourceTBP

Latest News

Heavy Rainfall Claims Five Lives in Balochistan

Five fatalities were reported on Friday in Balochistan’s Dukki district due to recent torrential rains.

Bodies of Two Forcibly Disappeared Baloch Youths Recovered in Karachi

Two young individuals forcibly disappeared in August last year were found dead in Pakistan's Karachi city on Wednesday. According...

Families Protest in Turbat Over Authorities’ Refusal to Release Bodies of BLA Attackers

In Balochistan's Turbat, Pakistani authorities are reportedly refusing to hand over the bodies of Baloch 'fidayeen' who executed a self-sacrificial attack on...

U.S. Warns of Sanctions Over Pakistan-Iran Gas Pipeline Project

In a recent statement, the United States has raised concerns regarding the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project, signaling potential repercussions should Pakistan engage...

Nushki: Attack on Intelligence Agency’s Office

Two back-to-back explosions followed by multiple gun fire rocks the Nushki city of Balochistan on Tuesday. According to reports,...