Seven dead and more than 100 injured after trains collide in Egypt

At least seven people have died in a train crash near the Egyptian city At least seven people have died in a train crash near the Egyptian city of Giza, with more than 100 injured.

The country’s railway authority said two trains travelling south from Giza and Cairo collided, causing several carriages to derail and fall down an embankment.

Images from the scene showed people looking inside overturned carriages for injured passengers as a massive emergency response was launched.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered state authorities to “investigate the circumstances of the accident, and hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent”.

The public prosecutor’s office warned the death toll could rise.

Getty Images Men search a train carriage after it derailed in Egypt. One can be seen clambering inside what appears to be a passenger car that has been torn open. Getty Images
Uninjured passengers and bystanders searched derailed carriages for injured people
The government said hospitals in the area had been put “on heightened alert” as they dealt with a massive influx of patients.

Egypt’s health minister Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said people were being treated for broken bones and head injuries.

The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was providing aid and psychological support to victims and their families at the scene.

The driver of one of the trains was among those who died in the crash, the ministry confirmed.

The first train was travelling from Giza to Fayoum, south of Cairo, when it crashed into the rear of another service heading south from Cairo to Aswan, which was stationary on the tracks.

Images from the scene showed some carriages had overturned, with the body of at least one appearing to have split in two.

Getty Images People look on after train carriages derailed following a crash in EgyptGetty Images
Trains between Giza and the Upper Egypt region were suspended as cranes were dispatched to remove the wrecked trains. The railway authority has not said how long it expects this to take.

The collision occurred in the area between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat, close to where Egypt’s deadliest train tragedy occurred in February 2002, when a fire engulfed a passenger train travelling from Cairo to Luxor.

In that incident, more than 370 people were officially reported killed, although some estimates put the toll considerably higher.

Two further crashes in the area in 2009 killed dozens more.

On Sunday, calls in Egypt urged the transport minister to resign over the latest deadly rail disaster.

Foreign leaders and dignitaries have shared condolences and support for the victims.

Saudi Arabia’s ministry of foreign affairs expressed “solidarity” with Egypt and wished those hurt a speedy recovery.

Turkey’s ambassador to Egypt wrote on X that he extended “heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy” to the victims, their families, and the Egyptian people. Giza, with more than 100 injured.

The country’s railway authority said two trains travelling south from Giza and Cairo collided, causing several carriages to derail and fall down an embankment.

Images from the scene showed people looking inside overturned carriages for injured passengers as a massive emergency response was launched.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered state authorities to “investigate the circumstances of the accident, and hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent”.

The public prosecutor’s office warned the death toll could rise.

Uninjured passengers and bystanders searched derailed carriages for injured people

The government said hospitals in the area had been put “on heightened alert” as they dealt with a massive influx of patients.

Egypt’s health minister Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said people were being treated for broken bones and head injuries.

The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was providing aid and psychological support to victims and their families at the scene.

The driver of one of the trains was among those who died in the crash, the ministry confirmed.

The first train involved in the crash was travelling from Giza to Fayoum, south of Cairo, when it crashed into the rear of another service heading south from Cairo to Aswan, which was stationary on the tracks.

Images from the scene showed some carriages had overturned, with the body of at least one appearing to have split in two.

Trains between Giza and the Upper Egypt region were suspended as cranes were dispatched to remove the wrecked trains. The railway authority has not said how long it expects this to take.

The collision occurred in the area between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat, close to where Egypt’s deadliest train tragedy occurred in February 2002, when a fire engulfed a passenger train travelling from Cairo to Luxor.

In that incident, more than 370 people were officially reported killed, although some estimates put the toll considerably higher.

Two further crashes in the area in 2009 killed dozens more.

There were calls in Egypt on Sunday for the transport minister to resign over the latest deadly rail disaster.

Foreign leaders and dignitaries have shared condolences and support for the victims.

Saudi Arabia’s ministry of foreign affairs expressed “solidarity” with Egypt and wished those hurt a speedy recovery.

Turkey’s ambassador to Egypt wrote on X that he extended “heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy” to the victims, their families, and the Egyptian people.