Egypt train collision near Giza kills seven and injures more than 100

At least seven people were killed and more than 100 injured when two trains collided near the Egyptian city of Giza on Sunday, the country’s railway authority said. Several carriages derailed and fell down an embankment at Al-Ayyat, south of Cairo, triggering a large emergency response.

How did the trains collide?

The railway authority said the first train was heading south from Giza to Fayoum when it struck the rear of a second service travelling from Cairo to Aswan, which was stationary on the tracks. The impact derailed several carriages, and images from the scene showed at least one carriage appearing to have split in two.

The driver of one of the trains was among those killed, Egyptian authorities confirmed.

What has the Egyptian government said?

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 that the death toll could rise. The government said hospitals in the area had been put on heightened alert.

How are the injured being treated?

Egypt’s health minister, Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, said patients 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.

Where did the collision happen?

The crash occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat, close to the site of Egypt’s deadliest rail disaster, in February 2002, when a fire engulfed a passenger train travelling from Cairo to Luxor. More than 370 people were officially reported killed in that incident, though some estimates put the toll higher. Two further crashes in the area in 2009 killed dozens more.

Have services been suspended?

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 the operation to take.

Fatal transport accidents are not confined to Egypt. In France, a bus crash in the east of the country killed a girl and an 18-year-old man.

What has the reaction been?

There were calls in Egypt on Sunday for the transport minister to resign over the disaster. Saudi Arabia’s ministry of foreign affairs expressed “solidarity” with Egypt and wished those hurt a speedy recovery, while 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.

Frequently asked questions

How many people died in the train crash near Giza?

At least seven people were killed and more than 100 injured, and the public prosecutor’s office warned the death toll could rise.

Where did the Egypt train collision happen?

The collision occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat, near Giza, south of Cairo.

What caused the crash?

The railway authority said a train travelling from Giza to Fayoum struck the rear of a stationary service heading from Cairo to Aswan. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi ordered an investigation into the circumstances.

Has anyone been held accountable?

President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he ordered authorities to hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent, and there were calls in Egypt on Sunday for the transport minister to resign.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)