According to the Egyptian authorities, at least 20 people were killed in a heavy train accident at Cairo Central Station. Another 45 people have been injured, said Health Minister Hala Said on Wednesday.
As the prosecutor’s office said, a locomotive had driven at high speed against a concrete block at the end of the track.
Recordings of a surveillance camera to show the disaster at the Ramses station in downtown Cairo. On the video, which was distributed on the Internet, was to see how a locomotive crashes at 9.30 clock local time against a buffer at the end of the tracks. Some people on the adjacent railroad track jumped to one side. Then an explosion filled the screen.
The police initially cleared the central station. Photos of the scene showed a burned-out locomotive and wagons that had obviously jumped off the rails.
In pictures and videos that were shared on the Internet immediately after the incident, a large black cloud of smoke can be seen above the station. On the platforms and tracks were therefore several charred people. You can also see how it burned in several places in the station and people tried to help victims of burning with blankets.
Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbuli visited the station immediately after the tragedy. „We will not tolerate negligence,“ said Madbuli. The Attorney General took over the investigation.
In the afternoon, Transport Minister Hisham Arafat resigned. The Prime Minister had accepted his resignation, said the Cabinet.
In recent years, there have been several serious train accidents in Egypt. Many critics complain about the bad condition of trains and tracks, as well as the training of train drivers. According to the Egyptian Statistical Agency, the number of accidents involving trains has risen sharply in recent years. In 2017, there were almost 1,800 accidents. However, the statistics agency does not specify the nature of the incident.
In July last year, 55 people were injured when a train south of the capital Cairo derailed. In February, more than ten people died in the collision of two trains in the southern Egyptian province of Al-Buhaira. In August 2017, more than 40 people died in a clash in Alexandria.
