Seven Killed, Over 100 Injured in Egypt Train Crash

At least seven people have been killed and more than 100 others injured after two passenger trains collided near Giza, south of Egypt’s capital, Cairo.

The crash occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in the Al-Ayyat area, causing several carriages to derail and tumble down an embankment.

According to Egypt’s railway authority, one of the trains was travelling from Giza to Fayoum when it struck the rear of another train heading from Cairo to Aswan, which was stationary on the tracks.

Images from the scene showed several overturned and badly damaged carriages, with passengers and bystanders searching through the wreckage for survivors and injured people.

The government said hospitals in the affected area had been placed on heightened alert to handle the large number of casualties.

Health Minister Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said victims were receiving treatment for injuries, including broken bones and head trauma.

The Egyptian Red Crescent also deployed emergency teams to provide medical assistance and psychological support to victims and their families.

The ministry confirmed that the driver of one of the trains was among those killed in the collision.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he had directed relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident and ensure that anyone found responsible for negligence was held accountable.

Egypt's public prosecutor's office warned that the death toll could rise as rescue operations continued.

Train services between Giza and the Upper Egypt region were suspended following the incident, while cranes and other heavy equipment were deployed to remove the wreckage. The railway authority has yet to announce when normal services will resume.

The crash occurred in an area with a history of deadly railway accidents. It is close to the site of Egypt's worst train disaster in February 2002, when a fire engulfed a passenger train travelling from Cairo to Luxor, killing more than 370 people officially, although some estimates placed the death toll considerably higher.

Two other train crashes in the area in 2009 also claimed dozens of lives.

Sunday's accident has triggered public outrage, with calls for Egypt's transport minister to resign over the latest railway disaster.

Meanwhile, foreign governments and diplomatic representatives have expressed condolences and solidarity with Egypt.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed solidarity with the Egyptian government and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

Turkey's ambassador to Egypt also extended his condolences to the victims, their families and the Egyptian people in a message posted on X.