Egypt train collision kills seven, injures more than 100
Two passenger trains collided Sunday in al-Ayyat, Giza province, about 32 miles south of Cairo, killing seven people including the conductor, authorities said. Egypt’s health ministry reported 112 injured; The Washington Post’s headline said 125. The cause has not been determined, and President el-Sissi ordered an investigation.
Bias breakdown and outlet coverageon the RUSH story page →The collision
NBC News, citing the Transportation Ministry, reported that a train traveling to Fayoum province crashed into the rear of a train heading to Aswan in al-Ayyat district, Giza province, about 32 miles south of Cairo. One of the trains derailed, the ministry said, but it did not specify which. The Washington Examiner, carrying an Associated Press report, said the chief prosecutor’s office put the dead at seven, including the train’s conductor.
The toll changed during the day
NBC News reported that the Health Ministry initially said four people were killed and later raised the toll to seven. Early reports from other outlets that cited four dead and 88 injured reflected the ministry’s first figures. CNN and NBC News reported 112 injured, with 45 already discharged. The Washington Post’s headline said 125 people were injured, citing authorities. The prosecutor’s office warned the death toll could rise, BBC reported.
Response and cause
Breitbart, carrying AFP reporting, said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directed authorities to conduct an urgent investigation to “hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent.” Witnesses told AFP that six carriages overturned and that rescuers dug under one to reach trapped passengers. The Egyptian Railway Authority said cranes were sent to clear the wreckage and restore service, NBC News reported. No cause has been announced.
Why this matters
CNN and AFP both noted that Egypt’s rail network has a long record of deadly accidents. Officials have not said what caused this collision, and the toll was still being revised on Sunday.