Egypt Train Collision Kills Seven, Injures Over 100 As El-Sisi Orders Probe Into Railway Safety

At least seven people were killed and 112 others injured after two passenger trains collided in Egypt's Giza province, south of Cairo, on Sunday. The accident has once again raised concerns over the country's ageing railway infrastructure, a history of deadly crashes and persistent maintenance problems.

The collision occurred in the al-Ayyat district, approximately 30 miles south of Cairo, when a train travelling from Fayoum province struck the rear of another passenger train heading towards Aswan province, according to Egypt's Transport Ministry.

Officials told The Associated Press that the Cairo-Aswan train was stationary on the same track when it was hit. The exact cause of the collision has not yet been established.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned the incident and ordered an immediate investigation. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he called for the circumstances surrounding the crash to be examined and those responsible to be held accountable.

Rescue and recovery operations were launched at the accident site, with emergency teams and cranes deployed to clear the wreckage and restore normal train services. More than 70 ambulances were sent to the area to transport the injured to nearby hospitals and assist rescue efforts. Authorities were also working to establish the final casualty figures.

Images and videos from the scene showed several passenger carriages derailed and overturned along the railway tracks.

The latest accident has renewed scrutiny of Egypt's railway network, which has experienced repeated derailments and collisions over the years. The al-Ayyat district itself has witnessed previous railway accidents. In September last year, a train driver and his assistant were injured when two freight trains collided in the same area.

Egypt's railway system has a long history of safety concerns, with poor equipment maintenance and mismanagement frequently cited as contributing factors in previous accidents. The country's deadliest railway disaster occurred in 2002, when a fire broke out aboard an overnight passenger train travelling from Cairo to southern Egypt, killing more than 300 people.

Another major accident occurred in August 2017, when two passenger trains collided near the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, killing more than 40 people and injuring dozens.

Egypt was the first country in Africa and the Middle East to introduce railway services. Today, approximately 110 million people depend on its railway network, making it a crucial part of the country's public transport system.

Although the government has announced several modernisation initiatives and invested billions of dollars in transport infrastructure, including roads and high-speed rail projects, much of the existing railway network continues to require upgrades and improved maintenance.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Jordan expressed solidarity with Egypt following the tragedy. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry conveyed its condolences and wished those injured a speedy recovery. Yemen's Foreign Ministry also offered condolences to the victims' families, while Jordan's Foreign Ministry extended its sympathies to those affected by the accident.