Egypt Train Accident Kills 11, Injures 98 in El-Qalioubiya

A train accident in Egypt’s El-Qalioubiya governorate killed eleven and injured 98 individuals after four carriages went off the rails, Ministry of Health reports. This is the second train accident in less than a week in Egypt.

The train was traveling from Cairo to Mansoura, and the accident happened around 1 pm local time, the Egyptian National Railways notes.

Ministry of Health added that more than 50 ambulances were involved in the emergency response to take the injured to hospitals, and that fourteen people have recovered and recently left the hospital.

According to a cabinet statement, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to form a committee to investigate the reasons behind the accident.

Nine officials, including the train driver, have been arrested and detained by security forces pending investigation.

In late March, a train collision in Sohag killed 32 people and 108 were injured. Prosecution announced on Sunday that the accident occurred due to negligence, Ahram reports.

Egypt’s railway safety has suffered over the years, with its deadliest train accident taking place in 2002, killing over 300 people. According to The Guardian, the Egyptian government reported 1793 train accidents in 2017 alone.