The toll of the collision of two trains near Al-Ayat in Giza rises to four dead and 88 injured

According to what was published by the BBC News Arabic website, the death toll from the collision of two trains in Al-Ayat area in Giza Governorate, south of Cairo, rose to four dead and 88 injured, according to an updated preliminary toll announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Health.

The incident caused a number of wagons to derail, some of which overturned on nearby farmland. After the incident, train traffic between Giza and Upper Egypt was suspended in both directions.

The National Authority for Egyptian Railways announced that the collision occurred between a train heading from Giza to Fayoum and the back of a train that was heading from Cairo to Aswan, in the area between the stations of Kafr Ammar and Raqqa, about 60 kilometers from the capital. The Authority pushed emergency teams and cranes to the site to lift the effects of the accident and move the rest of the vehicles. With the aim of restoring the movement of trains on theCairo-High Dam line in both directions.

President Abdelfattah ElSisi offered his condolences to the families of the victims, pledged to provide medical care to the injured, and directed an urgent investigation into the circumstances of the incident and to hold those responsible for any default accountable. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly also confirmed that he was following up with the concerned ministers on the situation of the injured and providing them and their families with the necessary support.

He directed the Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar to raise the level of readiness in health facilities in the governorates of Giza and Beni Suef. The Ministry confirmed the continued close follow-up of the health status of the injured. The ministry said in an initial statement that 52 ambulances were involved in transporting the injured to two hospitals adjacent to the area of the accident.

The Al-Ayat region has witnessed several train accidents during the past years, the most recent of which was last September. The Al-Ayat accident in 2002, which killed hundreds of people after a fire broke out in train cars heading to Upper Egypt. one of the largest railway accidents in the country.

Source: BBC News Arabic - https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/c6ly0w7vjlgwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss