At least seven people were killed and another 112 injured on Sunday after two trains collided south of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, according to the authorities.
The accident occurred in the district of Al Ayyat, in Giza province, about 52 kilometres south of Cairo, when a train heading to Fayum province in the southwest of the country struck the rear of another train travelling to the southern province of Aswan, according to the Ministry of Transport.
One of the trains derailed as a result of the impact, although the authorities did not specify which of the two. The Ministry of Health confirmed that at least four people had died and another 88 had been injured. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
Egyptian President Abdelfatah al Sisi announced in a social media post that he had ordered an immediate investigation to clarify the causes of the accident and to ensure those responsible are held to account.
The Egyptian Railways Authority said that emergency teams and cranes had been sent to the scene to clear the wreckage and restore rail traffic as quickly as possible.
Witnesses described chaotic rescue efforts after the collision, as villagers, first responders and railway workers scrambled to reach passengers trapped inside overturned carriages.
Rescue workers used cranes and heavy machinery to right overturned carriages as ambulances ferried the injured to nearby hospitals.
Villagers gathered around the cordoned-off wreckage, watching recovery operations continue into the evening.
Egypt’s 110 million people depend heavily on rail transport, but the network, one of the largest in Africa, has suffered repeated deadly accidents.
Over the past decade, Egypt has poured billions of dollars into updating its transport infrastructure, including new highways and high-speed rail lines, but has yet to overhaul much of its ageing rail network.
Last September, a driver and his assistant were injured after two freight trains collided in the same district.
Additional sources • AP