QALYOUB, Egypt, Aug 21 (Reuters) – A collision between two trains killed 80 people and injured 131 on Monday in a Nile Delta town north of Cairo, a security source said, in Egypt’s worst rail disaster since 2002.
About 25 ambulances rushed to the crash site, along with hundreds of bystanders and relatives anxious for news of passengers who might have been killed or injured, a witness said, adding that damage to the trains was extensive.
The accident took place at about 7.30 a.m. (0430 GMT) near the town of Qalyoub, about 20 km (12 miles) north of Cairo, official sources told the state news agency MENA. They said one of the drivers had apparently ignored railway traffic signals.
A Reuters photographer at the scene said one of the trains had derailed and was on its side. It had split into four parts and there were signs of a fire, he said.
MENA quoted official Egyptian sources as saying the death toll was at least 20. The crash happened when one train ran into the rear of another, causing one of them to derail and overturn.
This will remind a lot of people of the Al Ayyat train disaster of 2002, the worst in Egypt’s history, in which at least 360 people died, caused the resignation of the transport minister at the time and discredited the Atef Ebeid government. I wonder if there will be an investigation into what has been done since Al Ayyat to improve train safety.
Update: Just saw a French AFP news report saying the accident occurred after a collision of two trains that were on the same track and had not respected signals.
Les deux trains circulaient sur la même voie en direction de la capitale, l’un en provenance de Mansoura (130 km au nord du Caire) et l’autre de Benha (50 kms au nord). Selon les premiers éléments de l’enquête, l’un des trains n’a pas respecté un feu de signalisation, percutant violemment l’arrière du second. Les deux trains ne sont plus qu’un enchevêtrement de ferraille, autour duquel des dizaines de secouristes s’affairent pour tenter de retrouver des survivants, selon une journaliste de l’AFP. Deux wagons ont basculé sur le bas-côté de la voie. Des ambulances passent sirènes hurlantes, pour transporter les victimes dans sept hôpitaux de la région. Parmi les passagers figuraient des paysans ainsi que des fonctionnaires, dont de nombreux policiers, qui se rendaient au Caire pour y travailler, a affirmé un policier, Mamdouh Amer. Le 1er mai, 45 Egyptiens avaient été blessés lors d’une collision entre deux trains dans le gouvernorat de Charquiya, au nord du Caire. Fin février, 20 personnes avaient également été blessées dans un accident similaire près d’Alexandrie (nord).
There you go.
Only 15% of Egypt’s rail network is electrified, the rest is running with mechanical signals. Out of ENR’s 700 locomotives, half are not functioning or need to be overhauled.
No other sector in Egypt suffers under corruption and mismanagement like transportation. The thing is that the rail is a political issue, similar to subsidies. The government does not dare touching it. It employs 30,000 Egyptians and moves 1.4 million around every day, almost for free. Some rates have not been increased for 20 years.
The Minister Mansour tries to lure in private-sector investments, now also from the Gulf, and fully recognizes both the pathetic shape of the railways as well as its potential. In March he signed an MoU with General Electrics to upgrade locomotives and the signalling system to increase operational security.
Too late. Many have failed in reforming the railways authority before him, and even if Mansour succeeds, it will take another five to ten years to show substantial results, I think. Until then another few hundred Egyptians are sure to die in more train accidents.
There are unverified reports that the train crash was the work of terrorists and that Egypt is trying to cover up that angle. I hope the people behind this blog could investigate on the veracity of this claim.
Its really tragic. Train accidents occur serious injury. These accidents can occur for a number of reasons – derailment, distracted operator, equipment malfunction, defective equipment, etc. If you or a loved one has been injured while a passenger on a train – whether it was the Metra, the CTA or Amtrak – you may have a viable case against the railroad company. It is strongly recommended that you hire a personal injury attorney with train accident experience. That is, someone who knows very well the local and federal safety laws the railroads are required to follow. You want someone who will take the time to listen to you and understand your case and be able to assess where the railroad went wrong. suffer from neck pain?