Trains collide in Egypt, killing at least 4 people and injuring dozens

Two trains collided south of the Egyptian capital of Cairo, killing at least four people and injuring nearly 90 others, authorities said.

The crash occurred in al-Ayyat district in Giza province, about 32 miles south of Cairo, when a train traveling to the southwestern Fayoum province crashed into the rear of a train heading to the southern province of Aswan, according to the Transportation Ministry. One of the trains derailed, it said, but did not specify which.

The Health Ministry said at least four people were killed and 88 others were wounded. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, it said.

A train driver was among those killed in the collision, the Health Ministry said.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said in a social media post he is following the aftermath of the train collision “with great concern and extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.”

“I have directed state agencies to provide the necessary medical care, promptly investigate the circumstances of the accident and hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent,” he wrote.

Emergency teams and cranes were dispatched to the scene to clear the wreckage and restore train services to their normal schedule as soon as possible, the Egyptian Railway Authority said.

Last September, a train driver and his assistant were injured after two freight trains collided in the same district.

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.